


Ride With Me

by frequencyFragmented



Category: One Piece
Genre: Arlong is a business-law student, Arlong's Casual Racism, College AU, F/M, Fisher Tiger is Alive, Fisher Tiger tries to get Arlong to be less shitty, Late Night Trains, Spending the Night with a Stranger Youre Vaguely Attracted to, because who would want to fuck with Arlong, rating has gone up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:55:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22865179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frequencyFragmented/pseuds/frequencyFragmented
Summary: After spending two years at her local college, Aria Reed finally lands a full ride to Raftel. She puts on a brave face and leaves her sleepy, snowy town for the big city. When she quite literally bumps into Arlong on her morning commute, she only worries that he might make her commute more obnoxious.Arlong is a business-law student trying to make a good future for himself with the help of his boss and hero, Fisher Tiger. The coursework is hard but Arlong is determined to work at the same firm as his hero. Tiger's attempts at rehabilitating the former delinquent have been slow but effective, and when a spacey human winds up in the Fishman District after all the trains have stopped running Arlong can't leave her.
Relationships: Arlong (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Arlong/Aria Reed
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	1. In Search of Pho

Aria hated the city. It was far too cramped, with everyone pressing up against each other in an effort to get to their destinations as quickly and efficiently as possible. There was no room to breath, yet alone room for her to step to the side for a moment.

She wished she could have stayed at home, in her quiet cozy town in the middle of nowhere. But the offer she had received to go to one of the best colleges in the world for free had been too good to pass up. Reluctantly, she had resigned herself to city life.

She cursed that decision every morning when she stepped off the subway platform and into the cramped hell that was public transport. She had a fourty minute commute to her school. It was overwhelmingly nauseating on bad days, and irritating on good days.

Today was somewhere in the middle.

Aria hooked her arm around the pole out of habit and pulled out her phone, hoping to drown herself in material for her upcoming lectures. She ignored everyone around her to the best of her abilities, brushing off the folks who bumped her as they settled into place. The first few weeks it had offended her beyond belief, but now she had learned (mostly) not to care.

Her body tensed as the train began to move, and then relaxed. She focused intently on the pdf of her textbook, ignoring the world around her.

The next few stops were hectic, but Aria staunchly kept to her own little bubble. She was only bumped a few times, with the departing passengers murmuring apologies. A broad-formed person settled next to the pole beside her, she saw out of the corner of her eye. She tried not to let her hackles raise as they inadvertently invaded her personal space. She managed to reground herself just as they left the platform.

Music blared loudly from their earbuds, making it difficult for Aria to concentrate, but still she persisted.

Aria didn't pay anyone any mind at all until someone roughly slammed into her as they left, causing her to stumble backward into her pole-mate with a sharp curse. She finally looked up from her phone as she flipped the offender off with several unkind words falling from her mouth. Her train of action was cut off by a large palm bracing her side, and she looked behind her to see a disgruntled looking fishman glaring down at her. "Watch it."

"Sorry!" Aria said, her angry expression turning sheepish. Though she doubted he heard her, with how loud his music was. She carefully returned to her place, hoping she didn't piss him off too much. She'd seen this man on her morning commute several times already, and she didn't doubt that would change anytime soon. She didn't care if he hated her or not, but she didn't want her ride to school to be any more unpleasant and awkward than it already was.

Her phone became the center of her vision again, though from this angle she could see his reflection on her screen. He appeared to still be glowering at her, but Aria wasn't entirely sure that he didn't just have a very bad case of resting bitch face.

It didn't help him in the slightest that his facial structure was so angular and sharp. His jawline was all edge. His nose was so jagged and pointed that he could stab someone with it. He had thin, pale lips and narrow glacier eyes. His inky hair was always wild and untamed, and it was probably for the best that Aria had never seen him without some sort of hat covering his unruly hair. His clothes looked loose and comfortable, but he wore the gaudiest jewelry; the most noticeable pieces were the large hoop earrings that somehow never tangled with his earbud cords.

Aria found him attractive, but not enough to warrant dealing with him anymore than the morning commute.

Finding herself unable to focus on her pdf anymore, she decided to check her school's online classroom boards for any updates. She huffed in annoyance at the sight of two more class discussions she needed to do before Thursday. She read over the topics with a growing feeling of annoyance. They were too easy to require a discussion, in her opinion, but she didn't appreciate her grade dropping from not participating.

She typed the post for her first discussion with her thumb, before growing impatient and unhooking her arm from the pole so she could use both hands. Just as the train came to its next stop. Her body tensed instinctually, but her brain cursed itself as she felt her momentum carry too far.

Aria braced for impact just as an open palm steadied her, keeping her from falling over.

"Thanks." She murmured out of habit, not looking up from her phone. A faint blush formed on her cheeks, embarrassed because he had already told her once to watch it.

Aria hadn't expected a reply, so when he let out a low grunt she was taken aback. He heard her? She dared peak up at him and was surprised to see he had taken one of his earbuds out.

"You go to Raftel." It was a statement, not a question, and Aria found herself nodding absently to it. "What for? I'm surprised a spacey human like you can meet the rigorous coursework."

Aria's eyes narrowed at the insult. She had expected him to be rude because of how brusque he looked, but not outright demeaning. She smiled up at him as she told him, "physics with a specialization in acoustical engineering."

She wanted to laugh at how the smug look on his face fell. It lasted for only a moment, but she would take whatever victories she could. "Well, will wonders never cease?" He sneered. "I go for business law."

Aria's brows rose in surprise. Him? A law student? "No wonder you always look like someone put salt in your coffee."

He scoffed, the corner of his lips twitching upward for just long enough that she caught sight of a line of sharp-looking canines. Taking in his appearance once more, perhaps he _was_ suited for being a law student. Who would want to argue with him?

"Go back to your discussion board, Aria."

Aria blinked at the sound of her name coming from his mouth. She had never told him- ah, wait, he had been looking at her phone, hadn't he? It was displayed in the upper corner of every new page on the website alongside every post she made. With a frown she followed his advice, finishing up her post.

Despite his dismissive tone, she noticed he never took his hand off the small of her back until they reached their stop. Through her cotton tank she could feel warmth radiating off him. It was strangely comforting.

* * *

There was a pho shop Aria wanted to try a couple stops down from her apartment. She had been craving pho for weeks, but every other shop closed before she left for home. After the week she had, Aria decided she wanted to treat herself.

The problem was that it was the same stop that the nosy fishman got off on.

They hadn't spoken since that initial time, despite riding the same route every morning and getting off at the same time on some nights. Aria was content to let that continue, but following him off the train might cause him to become suspicious or nosy.

After much deliberation, she bullied herself into going through with her plans to get pho. She had sworn to herself after high school that she wouldn't let her social aversion get in the way of her goals.

Her stomach still twisted itself into knots as she stepped onto the platform. She had pulled up directions to the shop before she even got onto the train, and she checked them nervously as she walked. It was only a couple blocks away, but she hadn't been to this part of the city yet. Being somewhere new filled her with elation and a sense of adventure, though those feelings dampened when she saw the run-down scenery.

A lot of the buildings were old, and while their architecture was charmingly dated it was also covered in a lot of graffiti. The lamp posts looked like they had seen better days. Powerlines crisscrossed haphazardly overhead, the poles that held them in place covered in weathered flyers.

Aria checked the time on her phone and frowned. If she didn't hurry, she'd miss the last train for the night. Then she'd be stuck walking home or calling an uber. "I'd rather not do either." She mumbled to herself.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" A rough voice nearly growled at her. Aria looked up to see the very fishman she hoped wouldn't pester her. She tried to hide her displeasure, but her lips still curved downward.

"Getting food real quick before I head home."

The fishman rolled his eyes. "Head home? You're a real dumbass. That was the last train of the night."

Aria frowned. "What? You're wrong, there's another one in thirty minutes."

He looked at her like she was stupid for a moment, before pulling out his phone. He tapped at it aggressively, a scowl on his face all the while. Then he showed her the screen, a hand on his hip.

_Effective 9/30 Thursday night route changes:_

_First train: 5am_

_Last train: 11:30pm_

The notice on his phone was dated from last Saturday. Aria stared at it in disbelief, trying to go through the five stages of grief as quickly as possible. "What a pain in the ass," she managed to finally murmur.

"Tch. I knew you were spacey but I didn't think you'd let yourself get stranded in the Fishman District." He scoffed.

Aria huffed and crossed her arms. "It's not like I can't still go home after I eat."

The smirk he gave her was so shit-eating that it nearly distracted her from the sight of his teeth poking out. "What, you gonna walk? Cus it's not like anyone with a lick of sense is gonna be driving through this area."

Aria eyed a car that was, in fact, driving through the area. Up until it stopped at a stop sign, several men tried to open the doors and get inside. Thankfully for the driver, the doors were locked, and he sped off with a panicked look on his face.

Aria suddenly regretted getting off the train. It must have shown on her face because the shark sighed in agitation. "Where's this place you wanted to eat so bad? I'll at least get you there in one piece."

She was torn. On one hand, she didn't want to socialize after such a trying day. On the other hand, she didn't really want to go through this area alone after almost witnessing a car-jacking. Her stomach growled loudly, making the decision for her. "It's just a few blocks east of here. It's a pho shop."

He nodded, like he knew the place. "Called something like 'SeaKings,' right?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Fine. I ought to eat too." The shark muttered to himself. "Let's go." He ordered, pushing her along in front of him. That was probably for the best, as his long strides made it hard for her to keep up. It wasn't that she was small or had short legs, but he was so much taller than her that the top of her head barely hit the middle of his torso. After they got off the morning train she always quickly lost sight of him in the crowd.

They walked together in silence, and Aria was grateful. Her energy quota for socializing had capped itself out yesterday, and she still had three days left in the week to go. It wasn't long before they reached the shop.

The doorbell jangled pleasantly as they entered. The shop was nearly empty, which didn't surprise Aria in the slightest. It closed in an hour. There were only two patrons beside her and her schoolmate, and a person behind the counter. The light blue walls were covered in all sorts of cheap seafolk decor, and several pieces even had pricetags on them. The television quietly displayed some sort of cheesy soap opera with no subtitles while the radio played country music. It wasn't the atmosphere she had expected at all.

Well, she didn't come here for the atmosphere, she supposed. Her schoolmate pushed her towards a table and sat down, grabbing a menu from behind the napkin dispenser. She followed suit, although she already knew what she wanted.

They had barely been sitting for a moment before the waiter came over. "What're you having?"

Her companion gave his order instantly, and Aria balked for a split second. Why had he even bothered with the menu? She supposed it was habit. Aria followed suit and ordered. She barely managed to hide a grimace as the server's bubblegum popped loudly, the bill tossed on the table before they had even been given their food. The server disappeared into the back.

The other patrons paid their money on the table and left, leaving the two of them alone.

Aria pulled out her phone and started scrolling through social media mindlessly. There wasn't much happening on her feed most days, which was how she preferred it. She didn't want to be distracted from her studies. But today she desperately hoped there was something to keep her occupied.

There wasn't.

"So what are you planning to do after this?" Aria looked up from her phone to see him resting an elbow on the table, his fist digging into his cheek.

Aria pursed her lips, folding her arms on the table. She hadn't wanted to think about that until she'd eaten. "Since getting a ride is out of the question, I suppose I'll either hole up somewhere until the next train or walk home. Probably the latter." Her leg bounced anxiously at the thought. Before, she had hoped she could just walk home if she couldn't grab an uber. Now that seemed riskier than before.

He hummed in faint disapproval. "It's not a good idea to do either of those."

Aria shrugged. "Those are the only options I have."

"You could crash at my place."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "I didn't think you were that sort of person. I don't even know your name." Despite the teasing lilt in her voice, she reminded herself she really didn't know anything about this person. She wanted to trust him, though.

He at least had the decency to look mildly sheepish, though he still bared his teeth at her. "It's Arlong. Get your mind out of the gutter." He sat up a bit straighter, his forearm falling to rest on the table.

Aria smiled. Embarrassment looked cute on Arlong. "Nice to meet you, Arlong. I'm Aria." She held out her hand, and after a few moments of warily staring at it, Arlong shook it.

For a business law student, his hand was rough and covered in callouses like he worked with them a lot. But his webbing was surprisingly soft. She could feel the backs of his piercings scratching her fingers. It was warm, just like she remembered from that first time on the train, and her heart sped up.

Aria barely registered the sound of Arlong echoing her words, the waiter bringing over their food and drink. They were an octopus fishwoman, and their numerous arms allowed them to only need a single trip. She raised a brow at their grasped hands, causing Arlong to jerk his away and set it on his lap with a scowl that dared her to say something.

The smell wafted over to Aria and her mouth watered in anticipation.

"Enjoy." The waiter said before disappearing into the back again.

Arlong broke apart his chopsticks and dug into his food, and Aria followed suit. It was just as delicious as she hoped, and the warm broth warmed her from the inside. Aria decided this would be a nice place to visit in the winter months, though she would have to come during the day to avoid a repeat of her current situation.

"So are you going to crash at my place or not?" Arlong asked between bites of his food.

Aria hummed, stalling her decision by taking a drink of her water. Relying on others was always hard for her, but it seemed like the best option tonight. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

Arlong scoffed. "Not really. A pretty human like you wandering around alone is just asking for trouble. After dark, it's worse."

Aria's stomach fluttered at the indirect compliment. She had enough confidence in herself to not be flattered easily, but Arlong was ruggedly handsome and the sound of his voice alone made her feel like she was drowning. Knowing he found her pretty made her week.

"Then I hope you don't mind me imposing for the night." She offered Arlong a grateful, sheepish smile.

"Better than letting you get yourself killed." Arlong said, indifferently. Aria tried not to frown. "This district has a bad enough reputation."

Aria didn't know what to say to that, so she went back to eating. It was a shame. The food was delicious, but perhaps she shouldn't come back here if Arlong was so insistent it was a bad part of town.

They finished eating and Aria grabbed the bill before Arlong could even make a move for it. She doubted he was the chivalrous type, but she wouldn't let him pay for her meal when she was already crashing at his place. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

Aria tossed down enough cash to cover both their meals plus a tip, and then grabbed her bag.

"Treated to food by a human." Arlong muttered under his breath, so faint Aria could barely hear it. "There's a first time for everything, I guess."

Aria wondered if he was always this casually racist. Her fingers itched to reach for her phone, wanting the security of not having to acknowledge that particular thought. "You're letting me stay at your place. It's the least I could do." Her tone came ought haughtier than she wanted, and Arlong rolled his eyes.

"Let's get going."

Arlong's place was a couple blocks away from the restaurant. It was surprisingly far from the subway, though with his long stride it wouldn't take him nearly as long to get there. Aria was disappointed he didn't push her along, his hands shoved in his pockets instead. She usually shied away from physical touch, but her touch-starved body was more than eager to let his warm, broad hands press against the small of her back.

Aria followed him up the stairwell, noting how the paint was chipping off the drywall. To be fair, her apartment complex wasn't much better, but she was using her scholarships take care of her housing. Arlong seemed like he'd lived in this part of town his whole life, though she didn't pry into his personal life.

Arlong lived on the fifth floor, at the end of the hall. Aria memorized the room number, though she didn't know why. She didn't intend to come back, did she? Aria frowned to herself as she waited for Arlong to unlock the door. She didn't really have any friends in the city outside of school, and Arlong was probably the closest thing to one at the moment.

Arlong took off his shoes when they stepped into the entry hallway, and Aria saw three other pairs. She wasn't surprised he had roommates, but she didn't want to impose even more than she already was. She took hers off and set them neatly next to the door before following Arlong further into the apartment.

The living room was combined with the kitchen, and a large section couch took up most of the wall with a tv across from it. There were a few band posters hung up on the walls haphazardly, and a corkboard hung next to the fridge with memos about bill due dates and take-out fliers pinned to it.

The couch looked so comfortable that it was practically begging Aria to collapse onto it, the siren's call of sleep suddenly all she could hear. She set her bag down onto the floor and sunk into the couch, the day's events taking their toll all at once.

"Ah, don't get comfortable there. Roommates will flip shit if they find a human sleeping in the common room."

Aria raised a brow. Why even bring her here then, if she wasn't even safe out in the open? Or was this just a ploy to get her in his bed?

"Don't give me that look." Arlong snapped. "I have a couch in there too."

She bit back a sarcastic quip as she stood. She grabbed her backpack and followed after him sluggishly.

Arlong's bedroom was cramped. His furniture was mismatched and way too large for the small room. It was partially the fault of his bed, which was suited for someone of his size but could fit probably four of her in it. It looked so cozy with its fluffy navy comforter, and Aria wanted to whine about having to sleep on the futon couch that sat snuggly between a dresser and Arlong's computer desk. The futon didn't look bad to sleep on, but it was covered in textbooks and clothes. Arlong tossed the clothes into a laundry basket as Aria stayed firmly in the corner of the room, trying to be out of the way.

For the most part, Arlong's room was neat. His bed was made, even. There were knicknacks scattered about the top of his dresser and his desk was covered in stray pens. It wasn't dusty and smelled nice. It was a stark difference to her own room, which was covered in notebooks and clothes she kept procrastinating on picking up.

He had a few posters hung up, and Aria was surprised by his music taste. She hadn't expected him to like Soul King or orchestra, though the _Captain Kid_ poster seemed more his style. His computer looked ancient, but he had a nice-looking flatscreen tv mounted to the wall.

Aria was pulled out of examining her surroundings by Arlong tossing a blanket and a pillow on the futon. The blanket had come from the closet, but the pillow was one of his own. Then he dug through his dresser and tossed a shirt at her. It was soft but she didn't know what he wanted her to do with it.

"I'll toss your shit in the wash and we'll dry it before we head out." Arlong offered, crossing his arms. "I'm going to take a shower, so you can just leave those out in the kitchen."

"Ah, thank you." Aria found herself taken aback by his hospitality. She had just intended to sleep in her clothes and go to school in them again the next day.

Arlong waved her off dismissively and left, shutting the door behind him.

Aria waited until she heard the shower turn on down the hallway before undressing. She folded her tank, tights, and shorts around her bra so that Arlong wouldn't have to look at it. The black band t-shirt Arlong gave her went well past her thighs, nearly reaching her knees. It had a masculine scent attached to it, smelling nice but not sweaty.

She slipped out of the bedroom and set her clothes in the kitchen, trying to make as little noise as possible. If Arlong was worried about his roommates finding her there, she didn't want to wake them. She darted back into Arlong's bedroom as quietly as she could.

Aria flopped onto the futon and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her social media mindlessly. The futon was soft and she felt all her energy leaving her. She fell asleep before she realized it.

The last thing she remembered thinking was that Arlong smelled good.

* * *

Arlong came back to his room after tossing the Aria's clothes in the wash. He was surprised to see her already passed out on the couch. She hadn't even bothered with the blanket, the back of her bare legs exposed to the chilly autumn air. Shaking his head at her, he tossed the blanket over her.

He didn't even know why he was bothering with this spacey human woman. She was clearly more trouble than she was worth.

Arlong snickered to himself as he remembered the first time he ever saw her. She looked like she was going to be sick as she clutched the subway pole so tight her dark knuckles turned ashen. It was clear she'd never riden the train before, let alone dealt with rush hour traffic. The following weeks, he saw her grow more accustomed to it, until she finally just curled her lip in disgust whenever someone got too close to her, eyes completely locked on her phone.

Her cotton-candy pink hair stood out amongst the crowd, so he would notice her even if he didn't bother looking. Her eyes were cold and steely, piercing through anyone who dared bump into her. It seemed like she hated humans as much as he did with how she bristled around them. Despite that, she looked soft and sweet, her thick brown thighs always brushing against each other. Those first few weeks, she wore nothing but lace-necked tanktops and tight shorts, but now it was getting colder she added tights to her ensemble. He almost wished the heat would last forever. She had nice thighs and a great ass.

Anger and irritation was something he frequently saw on her face, so when she smiled at him all those weeks ago he'd been taken aback.

Today he'd seen a lot of smiles from her, from grateful to mischievous, and they all made his mouth go dry.

It was frustrating. Arlong knew she was only spending time with him because she had to. She was a human. She wouldn't give him the time of day if she didn't need him. And he shouldn't want her to, anyway. But ever since that day she bumped into him and smiled at him, he wanted to see more of that.

Now she was asleep on his couch, her lips parted as she softly exhaled, her curly pink hair fanning out across his pillow. Soft and sweet.

Arlong shook his head to clear it. He needed to sleep. He turned off his computer monitor, set his alarm for the morning, and plugged in his phone. He hit the lights as he collapsed into bed. The sound of Aria's breathing lulled him to sleep.

* * *

The alarm clock woke Arlong up at a miserable 4am. He groaned and tried to remember why he would bother waking up this damn early.

A quiet moan from the couch made him sit up, eyes wide as he remembered bringing home that human woman from the train. His eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly, and he spotted her sluggishly rubbing her eyes. She was wearing his Soul King shirt…?

Right. He’d offered to wash her clothes. They needed to be put in the dryer. He pushed himself out of bed, leaving the room as fast as his sleep deprived body would go. He just barely remembered to shut the door quietly.

Arlong got done tossing her clothes into the dryer and was at a loss on what to do next. Trying to lay back down and go back to sleep was out of the question. He’d just be hyper-aware of Aria the whole time. He had already taken a shower the night before, so he couldn’t pass that off as an excuse to waste time.

Arlong lounged in the bathroom, fixing his bedhead and moisturizing his gills as slowly as possible. But that barely took up any time, and so he reluctantly returned to the bedroom.

Hopefully he had assignments he could pretend to work on until they left.

* * *

Aria looked at the doorway as Arlong entered. Last night's tiredness was still etched into his body. He scowled harshly at the meager light from pre-sunrise, murmuring a grumbled curse. He had attempted to tame his hair, though there were still cowlicks aplenty. His jaw was open and slack as he yawned, scratching the back of his head. Aria could see a faint five'o clock shadow forming, the disheveled look easing the harsh lines of his jaw.

He must have forgotten she was here, because he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt on after he went to the bathroom. Aria tried not to stare at the hard muscle of his torso, but it was difficult not to. She wasn't aware he had a tattoo on his pectoral. The dark red sun shone brightly against his blue flesh. His pants hung low on his waist, hipbones clearly defined. Her mouth dried as she watched him slump into his desk chair, turning on his monitor so that he could browse the internet.

It should be a crime to be that attractive, Aria thought. She pointedly looked at her phone, pulling up the school's message boards. She hastily typed a reply to a post, not even bothering to check the wordcount.

An hour passed with the both of them awkwardly ignoring each other’s existence. Arlong finally retrieved Aria’s clothes from the dryer.

“Here, take these already.” He grumbled, shoving them into her hands.

Aria had never been more grateful for her own clothes. “Thanks.”

He grunted and shut the door, offering her privacy. She changed quickly. She stared at the borrowed shirt, not quite sure what the proper etiquette was, before deciding she should just fold it and leave it on the couch.

She grabbed her backpack and ducked into the bathroom to make herself look slightly more presentable. Thank god she always kept a spare toothbrush in her bag for when the acidic grit of coffee got too much to bear on her teeth. She loosely braided her hair, so her bedhead wasn’t noticeable. She pointedly ignored her own dark circles, intending to buy something at the cafeteria to give her an energy boost once she got on campus.

She took a deep breath before exiting the bathroom. She felt woefully unprepared for the day. Or at least the next hour she was going to spend with Arlong.

Arlong had put on all his jewelry while she was preoccupied in the bathroom. It glinted against the light of his smartphone as he idly scrolled. He looked much more presentable than Aria felt she was, with his navy long-sleeved button-up tossed over a white tank top. He at least had a hat to cover his hair. Even though it was probably chilly, Arlong seemed to be as stubborn as she was on wearing full-length pants, as he was wearing loose black capris that had dull silver buttons running up the seamline. His own bag was slung over his shoulder.

“Ready to go?” Arlong asked, not bothering to look up at her.

“Mhm.”

“Good.” He pushed himself off the counter and put his phone in his pocket.

Aria followed him out of the apartment, and a weight felt lifted off her as she realized she didn’t need to worry about his roommates anymore. She had been more nervous about them than she realized.

The morning air was brisk, as she expected. It wasn’t cold enough to compare to Fiora Marsh, but Arlong kept moving at a pace that made her unable to worry about the cold, anyway. She felt a bit childish for trying so hard to keep up with him, but the thought of being lost in an unfamiliar place kept worrying her.

When they finally got to the subway station, Aria was relieved.

* * *

Arlong was surprised Aria didn't part from him once they got on the train. She didn't try and bring up any conversation, instead staring at her phone, but she also didn't flee. It was completely different from what he expected. Aria had seemed so against crashing at his place last night that he was sure she would run the second she was able.

He tried to convince himself that it was just because she didn't want to be rude, but then Aria reminded him just how little she cared for social niceties when she flipped someone off for smacking her with their bag.

It was a more pleasant train ride than he expected, and Arlong was almost disappointed when they reached their destination. Aria disappeared in the wave of students, but not without a small wave goodbye.

The fact she had thought to do that at all seemed so strange for a human, but Arlong had quickly realized that Aria followed her own track and no one else's.

* * *

The restaurant Arlong stepped into was bustling with activity. It was popular with the night crowd, being dimly lit with good, reasonably priced food and a wide selection of alcohol.

The hostess, recognizing him from previous visits, smiled and led him to the table where Tiger, Jinbe, and Aladdin were already seated.

"Arlong! Good to see you could make it! I wasn't sure if you'd be able to come!" Tiger greeted warmly.

Arlong sat down beside Aladdin and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I got lucky and one of the professors canceled my last class for the day. Wouldn't have been able to make it otherwise." He grinned at Tiger as he spoke.

"I'm surprised you're being so diligent with your studies. It's such a drastic change compared to the terror I knew in high school." Jinbe said, taking a long drag of his pipe. There was a grin on his face, though, and Arlong was use to Jinbe's teasing by now. Jinbe had been his tutor doing freshman year, helping him through all the math his lower-income middle school didn't teach him. They didn't get along at all in the beginning, but now that they both mellowed out they had a loose friendship.

"Arlong is really determined to get into your firm, eh, Tiger?" Aladdin commented.

Arlong really was. Tiger had stepped into Arlong's life at a very rough patch and shown him nothing but kindness. Without Tiger, Arlong doubted he would have had the motivation to even get his high school diploma. He spent more time getting into fights and doing sketchy things for cash than going to school. Tiger bailed him out of a holding cell more than once.

Tiger seemed like a beacon of generosity and community, even now. He set up several scholarships for seafolk to go to college, and Arlong managed to score one of them. Now that Arlong was getting further into his degree, Tiger even offered him a paid internship so that he wouldn't need to work a minimum wage job on top of going to school full time. Two weekends out of the month, Arlong worked at Tiger's law firm, giving him some extra cash. Being able to work with Tiger for real was like a dream come true, and Arlong knew that's where he wanted to be once he graduated.

"That, or he just doesn't want to waste the scholarship money!" Tiger said with a booming laugh. "Are you still the most frugal out of you four boys?"

Arlong nodded. "Though that's not hard, considering Chew and Hachi spend most of their money on games."

Jinbe shook his head. "Those two always did like goofing off. Is Hachi still aiming to be a chef?"

The waitress brought over Arlong's usual drink as well as refills for the other three, and Arlong took a long slow drink before replying. "Yeah, and he's been getting work experience at some fancy restaurant in Uptown."

"The Baratie, right?" Aladdin asked. Arlong made an affirming noise. "They're suppose to have really good food, and they've got a nice spot on the bay. Supposedly there's even a submerged part of the restaurant."

Tiger let out a low whistle. "Hachi must have made some good connections to get work there."

"He made friends with one of the chefs there, I think. Using his typical Hachi charms." The table busted up laughing, all of them knowing what that meant. Hachi could win over anyone. Arlong bet he could even win over Aria if he wanted, the thought making him scoff into his drink.

"What are Chew and Kuroobi up to? It's been a while since they've come with you." Tiger asked, before popping a takoyaki ball into his mouth.

Arlong wished he could brag about what his other friends were doing, but he rarely saw them. Kuroobi only had a couple classes at Raftel, and he was often done before noon. Chew wasn't going to Raftel at all, and instead was taking classes online from a different school.

"Kuroobi's been working at that same auto shop he's always been at, and when he's not there he's at the gym. I feel like I only see him on weekends." Arlong shrugged indifferently. "Chew is still working on his biology degree, but he got an internship at Vegacorp, so he's not working at that weird coffee shop anymore."

"Oh thank goodness," Jinbe muttered into his drink. "That coffee shop had the _worst_ pastries ever and Chew always wanted me to stop by and have some."

Arlong winced sympathetically. "For a while he kept bringing them home and trying to make us eat them. They were so stale I broke a set of teeth."

Aladdin and Tiger both shared a horrified look.

"He was always so proud of them." Jinbe sighed. "I didn't have the heart to tell him they were garbage."

The four of them lapsed into pleasant conversation as the waitress came by again. They'd been chatting for a good hour before Tiger fixed Arlong with a grin that meant trouble.

"So, have you tried making any human friends yet?"

Arlong scowled. Tiger always, without fail, brought that question up as part of his attempts to 'rehabilitate' Arlong. When they'd first met, Arlong had been on the verge of making a gang focused on pushing humans out of his part of town. He'd been so angry and frustrated with his lot in life and human's constant disrespect that he would have resorted to violence to deal with his burning hate.

Tiger had slowly been working on Arlong's negativity with him, over the last eight years they had known each other. In the beginning it seemed like an impossible task, with how much Arlong hated humans. But Tiger dreamed of living in a society where humans, minks, seafolk, and giants all lived together with no prejudice, and Arlong couldn't say no to a man who had been so generous to him. Arlong wasn't completely free of hate or casual racism, but he was slowly unlearning all the things that had been shoved into him by his upbringing.

At the very least, he could tolerate a spacey pink-haired human.

With that in mind, Arlong shrugged. "I wouldn't call her a friend yet, but I ate with some woman from Raftel the other day." Jinbe looked surpised and Aladdin looked pleased.

Tiger beamed with pride. "Oh yeah? What does she go for?"

Arlong grimaced. If he had known there was going to be follow up questions, he wouldn't have answered like that. "Engineering or physics or something like that."

"A girl that smart ought to know better than to hang around you for long." Jinbe teased.

"Hey!" Arlong snapped.

The conversation derailed into a different topic, and soon Arlong had forgotten he'd brought that up at all. It wasn't until he was getting ready for bed that a text from Tiger made him remember.

Arlong scoffed at the text. Of _course_ Tiger would want her name and number so that he could do more 'community outreach,' also known as 'trying to get more humans to play nice with Arlong.' Tiger had done that any time a human had so much spoken with Arlong for more than three sentences.

Thankfully, he didn't have her number, and Tiger's plan was thwarted. This time.


	2. In Search of a Bludgeoning Friendship (and Groceries)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raftel's students maintain a resale app, and Arlong gets word of some interesting ads. Having nothing better to do, he checks it out...and gets Aria's number in the process? Wild.

Arlong was bored, waiting between classes in the quiet fourth-floor hallway of the science building. No one ever came up here except for the science students who would never leave their classrooms, and it was always deathly silent. He had staked out a couch near the sunny windows for the last few weeks, large enough for him to stretch out on. It was a good place for a nap, usually. But he managed to catch up on all of his sleep yesterday, and for once he wasn't bone-dry exhausted.

Idly, he recalled Chew mentioning a bunch of weird ads on the campus buy/sell app.

Having nothing better to do, he scrolled through the listings. It was janky and tended to bug out, but that was to be expected from an app developed and run solely through student efforts.

Arlong sniggered at a couple of the ads. Someone was selling their extensive sex toy collection after their significant other found it. Another was trying to sell an ancient heirloom clown doll that looked positively _terrifying_ and Arlong was sure it was cursed. There was a listing for fresh vegetables, home grown by the seller, but all the pictures were of eggplants.

Arlong nearly spat out his water when he found a listing from _Aria_.

> **For Sale: Set of 12 Unopened Dracule Perona Brand Nail Polish**
> 
> _Seller: Aria Reed_
> 
> _Bought for 100,000 beli, willing to sell for 80,000 beli. Price negotiable if you have good-condition romance novels for trade._
> 
> _Was going to give it to my older sister for her birthday but she broke my violin and I need to pay for its repairs, so fuck her._

There were several pictures included, and they featured the set completely in its original packaging.

Arlong couldn't believe Aria would actually be selling something so hard to get for that price. He remembered his sister texting him that she stood in line for three hours to get it. For such a limited item, Aria ought to sell it for _at least_ three times the price. Arlong grumbled to himself about Aria's poor sense of frugality, before focusing on some of the finer details in the listing.

Aria had a sister too? And she could play the violin? At the very least she owned a broken one. Aria seemed a bit petty, selling her sister's birthday gift. Then again, instrument repair wasn't cheap. If she really was strapped for cash to repair it, she should definitely charge more instead of offering a trade for romance novels of all things.

Arlong huffed in amusement, a small smirk on his face. Aria was such a strange human woman.

> **[Message Sent - 3:35pm]:**
> 
> you could really get a better price on that dracule perona
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:36pm]:**
> 
> What?
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:36pm]:**
> 
> youre selling it too cheap
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:36pm]:**
> 
> you should sell it for at LEAST 300,000 beli
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:37pm]:**
> 
> its a rare collectors set
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:38pm]:**
> 
> Are you really texting me for the first time to complain about that?
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:38pm]:**
> 
> yes.
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:38pm]:**
> 
> Why???
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:40pm]:**
> 
> listen i know my shit. your puny human brain might not understand how money works, but i do. so just sell it for more than what you currently are.
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:45pm]:**
> 
> No lmao
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:46pm]:**
> 
> excuse me
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:46pm]:**
> 
> did you read anything i just told you
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:47pm]:**
> 
> Yeah, I read that you're an egotistical racist.
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:48pm]:**
> 
> Fuck off.

Arlong glared at his phone indignantly. This wasn't how he wanted this conversation to go at all. She was suppose to bow to his superior knowledge and thank him for informing her of how much money she could have made. Not telling him to fuck off. He grit his teeth at the insults.

> **[Message Sent - 3:55pm]:**
> 
> do i have to explain how money works
> 
> **[Message Received - 3:58pm]:**
> 
> Listen, I don't care. You can buy it if you're so damn worried about making money off it. I just want to get rid of it before next week.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 3:59pm]:**
> 
> why so soon
> 
> **[Message Received - 4:00pm]:**
> 
> Are you going to buy it or not?
> 
> **[Message Sent - 4:01pm]:**
> 
> no
> 
> **[Message Received - 4:01pm]:**
> 
> Then fuck off.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 4:01pm]:**
> 
> no
> 
> **[Alert! You have been blocked by this user. Messages will no longer go through.]**

" _Fuck_!"

Arlong was tempted to throw his phone against the wall in anger. Instead he snarled and pocketed it, grabbing up all his things and stalking off to his next class. One of the science dweebs poked their head out from the classroom, staring at him curiously until he bared his teeth at them. They paled and ducked back into the room, the door slamming.

The rest of the day went through painfully slow. Arlong was frustrated and impatient. He wanted to keep talking to her and figure out why she was so eager to be rid of that collector's set. He kept going through the messages and checking Aria's profile. He remained blocked the entire time he was at school, and as he trudged to the subway he had half a mind to worry if Aria would leave him like that forever.

He knew that possibility shouldn't matter to him, as she was just some human he knew through a shared commute. They weren't really friends. They just shared the same space every day. But her presence was a nice and stable constant. She wasn't intrusive, didn't barge into his life and tell him how to live it. _Oh_.

Dammit, he'd been an utter asshole, hadn't he? Arlong went through the messaged again, finally seeing he'd gotten off on the wrong foot with her from the start. With a heavy sigh he pocketed his phone and got on the train, but not before catching a glimpse of cotton-candy pink hair.

Right. Thursday. They rode home together today.

Arlong scowled. Aria wasn't in her usual claimed spot, though it was available. Instead she was a few feet down, her arm hooked around a different rail as she stared at her phone.

His palms felt sweaty. Aria seemed like a creature of habit, as she hadn't changed their routine since they started it. His fear that she might block him forever suddenly seemed a lot more justified now.

_Aria was selling the set because her sister broke her violin_ , Arlong recalled. He wanted to groan. Aria was most certainly going to be petty about this, he realized. She would behave just like Chew would, except worse because they only had meager history together. The only way to stop things from degrading was if he acted first. He couldn't just let a human push him out of her life.

Despite his trepidation, he pushed his way over towards Aria. His hand came to rest just inches above hers, his forearm brushing against the soft skin of her bicep. She didn't acknowledge him, too entranced in her reading, but he hadn't expected her to.

Arlong normally would just use the opportunity to relax and listen to music, but he was too on-edge. He kept glancing down at Aria, like she would dart if he looked away for too long. But she was stationary. Aria seemed a bit sulky and distracted, and she kept scrolling up to re-read paragraphs.

Their ride was nerve wracking, but peaceful. Until some asshole rammed into Aria and she stumbled back against Arlong's frame, his hand coming to steady her. Arlong felt a sense of deja-vu as he watched anger light up her features, beautiful and worrying all at once, and she flipped the guy off. Then she turned to apologize and-

Arlong's heart sunk as fear slipped into her eyes, her voice cracking as she spoke. She had never looked at him like that before, and he never knew how much he appreciated that until then.

"Don't worry about it." He snapped, with far more venom than necessary. Aria winced, and she stepped away. Arlong didn't drop his hand from her waist, but she made no move to make him. He was grateful. It was reassuring to feel her under his skin, to know she wasn't planning on dipping just yet.

Aria didn't return to her phone. She chewed at her lip anxiously, and it grew puffy at the abuse. The air felt tenser now than before.

"I was an asshole." He blurted, before he knew what he was doing. Aria blinked owlishly, before an amused smirk slipped onto her face.

"Which time?"

"Tch." Arlong looked away. He could feel his blood pressure rising. He wasn't good at this sort of thing, though he'd been working on it with the help of Kuroobi, Jinbe, and Tiger. It was a long, slow process. He wasn't entirely sure he was good at it enough to get him through this situation. "You know. This afternoon."

Aria looked like she had a witty quip she wanted to say to that, but instead she settled on something less antagonistic. "Mm. You were." She couldn't look him in the face as she said that, either. Her right hand played with the hem of her shirt.

His throat felt like it was going to close up when he swallowed roughly. Apologizing to a human was something his younger self would have scoffed at, before meeting Tiger. Even now it was a struggle. But he didn't want her looking at him like that ever again. "Shouldn't have been so pushy. 'M sorry."

Aria hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose I can forgive you this once." Her voice carried a teasing lilt, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. Arlong still felt a lot of his tension leave him, and he squeezed her waist. A faint blush slipped over her cheeks, and she pointedly looked at one of the many advertisements on the luggage racks. Her tone turned more haughty as she hurriedly said, "I don't do this often, so count yourself lucky."

Arlong snickered. "Sure. Certainly doing better than your sister, anyway."

"I take it back." Aria drawled, clucking her tongue and crossing her arms petulantly. "You're unforgiven."

"Aww, c'mon, Aria." Arlong whined. Aria glowered up at him weakly. "I'll buy you dinner?"

Aria's brows rose at his offering. "You really think that'll work?" Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear, and he grinned down at her smugly. She huffed. "Fine, that works."

"It'll have to be at my stop or yours, 'cause this is the last train." Arlong reminded.

Aria pursed her lips, and Arlong was struck by how soft they looked. He was tempted to touch them, just to see if they were really that luscious.

Sheepishly, Aria admitted, "I don't think my ceilings are tall enough for you...let alone any of my furniture."

Arlong howled with laughter at that. "Fine, we'll go to that pho place again. You liked it last time, right?"

Aria nodded, her face flushed deeply.

"Good. You better enjoy it, 'cause I don't treat people often. Got it?"

"You have a tight wallet, Mr. Business Law?" Aria teased, giving him a genuine smile this time. It made his stomach flutter, and his grin grew even wider.

"Hell yes I do. Why do you think I was so insistent on you selling that thing for what it was worth?" He bragged.

"I thought you just wanted to be nosy." Aria said. She reached out with her index finger and tapped the tip of his rostrum. "You already like reading over my shoulder and keeping me from eating alone."

"Bah. You're just such a scatterbrained human I can't help but wonder if you pay attention to anything."

They reached Arlong's stop, and he led her out on to the platform.

"I pay attention to lots of things." Aria said, a sly smirk on her face. "But I'll let you keep playing hero."

* * *

It was Saturday and cold. The weather had been rainy and windy, and a cold front was promising more unpleasant weather.

Arlong found himself in one of the human districts, his mouth set in a firm line as he walked. Tiger wanted him to meet some friends of his, and Arlong didn't want to refuse. Even if it meant being around all these humans.

Across the street, he saw a familiar head of hair.

He checked his phone. Still an hour before he actually had to meet up with Tiger. He could afford to dick around for a little while.

Arlong crossed the street, glaring at any cars that so much as came within twenty feet of him. "Yo, Aria!"

The human woman paused, and turned around, surprise lighting up her features as she saw him. "Arlong? Hey."

He grinned down at her, an eyebrow raising incredulously. "What are you doing with all those bags?"

Aria opened one, and Arlong saw its contents. It was full of easy to make meals. "It's grocery day."

Arlong let out a short bark of a laugh. "What, did you buy enough to last all semester?"

"I tried to, yeah." Aria said, nodding. Arlong's face fell when he realized she was being completely serious.

"You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Aria pouted, her lower lip sticking out. She tried to cross her arms, but there were too many bags. "I don't really have the time to go grocery shopping every week. It's a pain in the ass. I just get it all done in one trip and call it good."

It's not like he didn't see her point. Going food shopping was the worst, especially since him and the guys had such active appetites. But at the same time, he'd cringe to see the bill of all this.

"Can't your roommate help out?" Arlong asked. They could at least help her carry this stuff. Aria kept shifting the weight of the bags as they spoke, obviously overburdened.

"I don't have one." Aria said.

Arlong scowled at that. A human woman living alone in this city? Granted, this was one of the safer areas, but still. Now he felt obligated to make sure she got home safely. Her angry glares would only ward off so much trouble.

He sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. "Give me some of those, then."

Aria blinked up at him owlishly.

"I'll help you carry some of this shit home, so you can just give me some of it." Arlong said gruffly, hating that he had to spell it out to her.

Her mouth made an o shape, her brows rising. It looked cute on her. That look quickly faded and was replaced by a stubborn determination. "I'm fine carrying all these." She shifted the weight of her bags, disproving her words.

Arlong balked at her. Was she really denying his help? "What? No you're not."

"I've always managed to do this myself." Aria protested, her shoulders raising defiantly.

"That doesn't mean you have to, though! Just let me carry some of them, you bull-headed human!" Arlong snapped. Aria looked ready to protest again, but he cut her off. "I'm your friend so just let me help!"

Aria's brows rose and her mouth fell open. "I-"

Arlong took advantage of her dumbfounded look and snatched some of the bags out of her hand. She let them go with little resistance. "Let's go already."

Aria broke out of her trance and nodded mutely, though she still seemed flustered. She turned around and pointed her finger. "It's this way."

Arlong followed her down a couple blocks until they reached a small building. Then he recalled a comment from Aria about how she wasn't sure her apartment would accommodate him. Judging by the entryway doorframe, she had every right to be concerned.

Aria saw his disgruntled expression and murmured an apology, and held out her hands to take the bags from him.

"Go inside already." Arlong snapped, not wanting to turn back already.

"Don't bump your head, then." Aria warned dryly, before entering. Arlong scoffed to himself. He wished she would have remained flustered. At least that look was cute on her.

He ducked under the doorframe and followed her, his mouth thinning at the low ceilings. They weren't terrible, but they clearly weren't made to accommodate fishmen statures.

Aria apparently lived on the second floor. She set down her bags at the door and dug through her pocket, fishing out a key. "Sorry for the mess."

Arlong never would have expected Aria to live in a studio apartment. It was small and cramped, though all the clutter of her books and schoolwork didn't make it any better. Aria set the bags on the tiled 'kitchen,' and Arlong left his share there as he examined her living area.

Aria had a small twin sized bed pressed up against the window, cutesy stuffed toys lining the sil. Her bedside table was covered in candles and bottles of fingernail polish. Several bookcases lined the wall, all filled the brim with books. Her collection was overflowing onto the floor. She had a few plants that looked healthy and thriving, nestled between shelves.

Aria's violin was tucked away in its case, sitting in the corner on the floor. The rest of the non-kitchen area had soft blue carpeting, and the walls were also a dull blue. The kitchen itself had large white tiles and a navy backsplash, with aging appliances that spoke to how old the complex really was.

Aria had a small, second-hand desk that barely had space for her laptop, let alone the mountain of textbooks piled beside it. Her swivel chair looked well-loved, with patches sewn into it to keep the stuffing from falling out.

A large dresser had the only mirror in the room, and the top of it was covered in more candles and papers. It looked like a fire hazard. Arlong was surprised there wasn't a tv. Or a couch. There was a small table and some cushions in the middle of the room, but that was it.

Somehow, Arlong thought she was more privileged than this. She always exuded such a haughty air. But she was just trying to make do like he was. Except she was on her own, with no one to rely on. Arlong grimaced. He at least had his roommates to fall back on.

No wonder she had looked so awed when he declared he was her friend.

Aria was still putting away her groceries when he turned back to her. "You need any help with anything?"

"Ah, no, I should be fine. Thank you."

Arlong nodded. He crossed his arms as he watched her. "You can call me if you need anything, you know."

Aria paused, looking like she had to come up with an appropriate response to that. "...I'll try to keep that in mind," she settled on. "But that's not something I'm use to."

"I get that." Arlong said. He did. Those first few years out of the orphanage, he had no clue how to rely on anyone.

His ringtone went off, and Arlong cursed when he saw it was Tiger. "Hey. I'm still on my way. I'll be there in a bit."

Aria watched him curiously.

Arlong pocketed his phone and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, can't stay longer. I'm meeting up with someone soon. I'll see you on Monday, Aria."

"Alright, have fun." She smiled softly. "Thanks for your help."

Arlong nodded and waved as he left. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aria return it.

There was a spring to his step when Arlong met up with Tiger and his friends. Tiger pointed it out with a teasing question of if Arlong was late because he was with his new friend.

Arlong refused to admit Tiger was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter this time!
> 
> This chapter is sponsored by the image of a young, bratty Arlong trying to get a young, incredibly petty Chew to be friends with him again after an extremely minor event causes Chew to have a pettiness explosion.
> 
> Aria is the type of person who Must Have Perfect Spelling And Punctuation. Arlong just does not give a shit about any of that. You at least get words instead of him yelling at you for underselling something.
> 
> Also yes the chapter title is supposed to be bludgeoning, not budding. Aria is less of a hermit in this au, but friendship must be forced upon her. As always.


	3. In Search of a Place to Sit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arlong resigns himself to taking that accounting class he's been putting off since his first semester. He spends the rest of the chapter being a menace in various ways.

Arlong gave a disgusted sneer as he watched students pile into the room. He had loathed the coming of this day since he signed up for the current semester. Thankfully he would only have to deal with this overcrowded room for half the semester.

It was an accounting class, one that was required for most degrees, and one that Arlong had been putting off for the last few semesters because he knew it was going to be packed no matter what format he took it in. There was just no way around it. He was going to be trapped in a room with enough humans to make a can of sardines look roomy.

The room was uncomfortably hot with the amount of people packed into it. No matter how much he glared, there weren’t enough seats to prevent some braver students from sitting beside him. Arlong sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

The classroom was so full that Arlong didn't even realize Aria was in the same room as him until the teacher started roll call in their attempt to learn the students' names and faces. He found her familiar head of hair when she replied to her name in a distracted tone, her attention focused on the syllabus that had been passed out.

Aria didn't look up until his own name had been called, and then Arlong waited until her eyes settled on him. He had sat far in the back, not wanting to deal with the large cluster of female humans that took up the middle of the room. But perhaps he could switch to a seat closer to Aria next time. The soft smile she sent him made that very tempting.

Arlong half-listened to the teacher drone on about the course's layout. The workload for the class wasn't going to add much pressure to his schedule, and Arlong was grateful. A few of his upper level courses were getting into their projects now that midterms were over, and he was going to have a lot of work to do. If he missed a few classes to work on them, it wouldn't be too bad, because he’d bet money that Aria could spare him her notes.

The first day of class was monotonously boring until they finally started going over content. Arlong prayed that it would be more interesting next class, because he found himself getting distracted by the thought of lunch.

After what felt like ages the class was finally over. Arlong stayed in the back of the classroom, waiting for the students to filter out as he tapped his foot in annoyance.

“I didn’t expect to have a class with you.” Aria said as she approached him. “Isn’t this a mandatory course?”

Arlong was more than a little surprised she approached him first. He motioned towards the horde of people. “You ain’t wrong. As you can tell, there’s little room to  _ breathe _ because this is a mandatory class. I put it off as long as I could.”

Aria grimaced and nodded in understanding. “Fair enough.”

Arlong’s stomach growled and he stood, his hunger outweighing his misanthropy. “I need to get some lunch. You got a class soon?”

Aria shook her head.

“Good. Come on, we can get food.”

Aria considered it. “Well, I brought my lunch, but I suppose I can come with you. I have plenty of time to kill.”

Arlong and Aria exited the building together, with Arlong filling the silence with small-talk about their class. Aria was content to just listen, which was fine by him.

Aria had to speed-walk to keep up with his long strides, and Arlong found it hilarious. She clearly didn’t want to ask him to slow down, judging by the determined look on her face. It was taking all of his self-control to not laugh at her.

Even though there was a student café nearby, Arlong took the long way just to amuse himself.

“Arlongggg! Wait up!” A familiar voice yelled. Arlong stopped, looking in the direction the call came from. Aria gave a relieved sigh at being able to take a break.

"Ah! Arlong, I didn't know you knew Aria, nyuu!" Hachi greeted as he approached, grinning wide.

Arlong was only a bit surprised that Hachi knew Aria. Hachi knew practically everyone, somehow. Arlong grimaced. He hadn’t mentioned his tentative friendship with the human to his roommates yet. Now that Hachi knew, the others would too.

Chew and Kuroobi had gotten lax in their distrust of humans in the last few years, and Arlong had too. But just suddenly hanging out with a human might be too much for them. Anyway, Arlong only wanted Tiger to think he was doing well with humans. If they just thought Aria was a classmate instead of someone he’d brought to their apartment, that would be fine.

"We ride together most days," Aria informed. She was a bit out of breath. Arlong silently approved of her.

"Apparently she's in my third class of the day." Arlong added.

"The one that just started?" Hachi asked. Arlong nodded. "That's great, nyuu! I know you weren't looking forward to taking it at all."

"I still don't," Arlong said dryly. "There's way too many people."

Aria nodded, grimacing.

"Well, at least you're finally getting it done." Hachi laughed, patting Arlong on the back amicably.

"How do you two know each other?" Arlong asked, trying to turn the conversation towards Hachi and away from himself.

"Oh, I have a cooking class with Hachi." Aria informed. "We got paired up as partners for the semester."

Arlong frowned. "You have so many classes that don't correspond to your major."

Aria sighed in annoyance. "Yeah, a lot of my credits didn't transfer, so I have to replace them. Thankfully my scholarship is covering them, but I want to work on classes I like."

"I thought you had a few classes that went with it, nyuu." Hachi said, frowning. He crossed all of his arms as he tried to think.

"I mean, I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester. Half of them are silly things like history and accounting, and the other half are things I'm actually interested in."

Arlong grimaced. He'd tried overloading on credits the first semester he enrolled, and it had been so overwhelming that he struggled to balance it all. His respect for Aria went up a bit.

"That's way too much, nyuu!" Hachi waved his hands dramatically. "You should take your time and just have a few classes each semester."

Hachi's energetic posing brought a smile to Aria's face. "I'd rather keep busy."

Arlong’s stomach growled loudly. Hachi joined them as they went to the café and kept the conversation light and easy.

The café was busy but most people were opting to eat outside. The weather was supposed to take a turn later in the week and everyone wanted to enjoy the last bit of nice weather before the cold hit.

Hachi got himself a large okonomiyaki while Arlong opted for a philly cheese steak. Aria decided to treat herself to a crepe after standing in line with Hachi and Arlong and staring at the dessert menu longingly.

They sat outside at Hachi’s suggestion. Aria had tossed together a bunch of vegetables together into a stir fry and was eating that before she dug into her blackberry cream cheese crepe.

“So do you work at Tiger’s place this weekend?” Hachi asked between bites of his food.

“Nah. Not this weekend. I’ll probably just hit the gym and catch up on classwork.” Arlong said.

Aria wasn’t surprised that Arlong worked out. She’d seen him shirtless. But for some reason the idea of seeing him working out was very appealing to her.

“What gym do you go to?” Aria asked as she stabbed a slice of carrot. “I’m still new to this city, so I don’t know about local gyms and such.”

Arlong scoffed. “You don’t seem like the type to work out. Besides, it’s in the Fishman District.”

“Aria does seem more like a bookworm than an athletic type, doesn’t she?” Hachi teased. Hachi had enough experience with Arlong to know when to smooth over his roughness.

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” Aria smirked. “I’d much rather just stay at home. But being a bit active wouldn’t hurt.”

Arlong looked thoughtful. “Maybe I can ask some people I know about gyms outside the District. Don’t count on it, though.”

Aria nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”

“Nyuuu, I wish I had time to work out, but between class and the shifts at the Baratie I barely have time to cook.” Hachi lamented. “I used to be really good at kendo during high school, Aria!”

Aria couldn’t imagine that. Hachi seemed far too energetic and impatient for kendo. “Really?”

“Yeah! I even had a few special moves!” Hachi spent the rest of the meal energetically talking about kendo, with Arlong snickering and making fun of Hachi. The interaction between the two made Aria laugh, and she felt at ease with the two fishmen. She was glad she had met these two. They were fun.

Arlong kept trying to poke fun at Hachi more and more throughout the conversation. Somewhere along the line, he had noticed that Aria was smiling whole-heartedly. It made his blood rush. The longer the conversation went on, the more Aria seemed like she was enjoying herself.

But Arlong was a selfish guy. Hachi drew a lot more smiles from Aria than he did. It was hard to stop the bubbly anger in his chest, and he always felt the fool a moment afterward. Feeling jealous towards Hachi? Over something like that? It made Arlong's insides twist. He hated it.

After a while, Hachi left to go to his next class and Arlong was relieved. It was just him and Aria again.

“Did Hachi talk your ear off?” Arlong asked.

“No, it was fine.” Aria said. She smiled up at Arlong. “You two are fun.”

Arlong scowled. “What does that mean?”

“You’re both easy to hang out with.” Aria said, stretching as she stood up. “I like you.”

Arlong was taken aback. A human thought he was easy to hang out with? A human liked him?

“You’re joking, right?” Arlong sneered and stood up, looming over her. His face was hot. Sweat was going down his back. “Don’t mess with me.”

“I’m being completely serious.” Aria said, but she took a step back. Her fists balled up and her spine straightened as she looked at Arlong in the eyes. “Got a problem with that?”

“Che. Of course. I don’t think a human has ever genuinely called me  _ fun _ before.”

Plenty of humans had called him fun after a night in bed and plenty of alcohol, but humans generally tended to avoid him otherwise. Arlong intentionally intimidated humans. At school, on the train, and anywhere else in public.

Hachi was fun. Arlong could see that. But himself? Not a chance in hell. He was a menace. A punk. An asshole.

Aria looked like she was considering his words for a few moments, before a wicked grin formed on her face. “I assure you that you’re  _ plenty _ fun. I’ll even hang out with you more to prove it.”

Arlong stared at Aria, stupefied. That was not what he expected.

Wait.

Did she just offer to hang out with him more?

“Fine! I’ll take you to a gym outside the Fishman District tomorrow and you can see how  _ fun _ I am there!” Arlong snapped. He immediately regretted those words as Aria’s eyes lit up in victory.

“Deal!”

Arlong growled lowly. “Honestly. You’re the most obnoxious human I’ve ever met.”

* * *

It was much easier to find a safe gym than either of them expected. As it turned out, there was one on campus.

It was early evening when Aria arrived. She looked around, trying to get a feel for the place. People filled the numerous glass rooms around the entrance, all partaking in athletic classes. Down one hall she could see several pools. Down the other she could see numerous intimidating exercise machines.

Maybe this was a mistake. Aria was completely out of her element here. She was going to make a fool out of herself. She should just leave before Arlong got here.

“Yo! Aria!” Arlong greeted from the doorway.

Oh, hell.

Aria turned to greet him but stopped. Her jaw hung open as she eyed Arlong’s outfit. He had  _ not _ been dressed like that this morning.

Arlong had ditched his coat and was wearing a tight black armhole tank, with the words ‘Gym Shark’ emblazoned in gold lettering down the front. He had been wearing capris earlier, but he had swapped them out for black basketball shorts. Despite the fact that he was going to be exercising, he hadn’t taken off his jewelry, and was wearing a chunky gold chain bracelet and his standard hoop earrings.

Abort! Abort! Aria could not stand Arlong being that hot and then getting sweaty and out of breath while proving he was fun. She would die. She needed to leave.

“You better not be gaping at my shirt, woman.” Arlong said, his good mood evaporating. “Hachi gave it to me as a shitty birthday gift and I don’t have the heart to toss it.”

Aria realized that Arlong was more embarrassed to be wearing that shirt than she was to be caught staring at him. That was an incredible relief.

“Wouldn’t even think about it.” Aria said, snickering.

Arlong huffed and started heading towards the room with all the exercise equipment. “Let’s get going.”

Aria followed behind him, all thoughts of fleeing gone after mentally praising Hachi’s gift-giving skills.

“So have you used any of this before?” Arlong asked.

“Nope. Never stepped inside a gym before.” Aria said. She didn’t like to admit that she was inexperienced in anything, but she wasn’t going to get herself in trouble by boasting skills she didn’t have. 

Arlong groaned. He had expected that answer from her, but expecting that inevitability hadn’t helped much. “Do you at least know what you want to work on?”

Aria blinked slowly. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

“You’re insufferable.”

Aria put her hands on her hips and stared Arlong directly in the eye. “Show me what’s fun. Start from the basics and move from there. You can do that, right?”

After a long-suffering sigh, Arlong nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I can do that. But my sort of exercise isn’t exactly aimed at a  _ human _ , so I’m gonna have no idea where your  _ limits _ are.”

Aria felt like her pride was being poked at. “Oh? I’m sure my  _ limits _ will be fine. Just show me where to start.”

Arlong outright laughed at her. “You sure are boastful about that, miss never-stepped-in-a-gym.”

They started with stretches, because Arlong had no interest in listening to Aria whine about sore muscles every time he took her to the gym. Aria was way less flexible than Arlong, which frustrated her.

To make matters worse, Arlong was showing off how flexible he was by telling her which exercises he didn’t think she’d be able to do, and then demonstrating them. Aria was annoyed to admit he was right. She didn’t think she would ever be able to get his smug grin out of her head now.

After stretches, Arlong tried to walk Aria through pushups and situps. Aria was confident in her ability to manage those, since she remembered physical education throughout school. When she tried to do a pushup, she fell on her face, her arms lacking the muscle memory they had in high school. 

Arlong laughed at her, while proceeding to do his own pushups. Aria flipped him off, which made him laugh harder. Aria did the logical thing and sat on him, hoping to make him fall on his own face. It didn’t work. Arlong was able to handle her weight with no problem.

Situps were easier, but Arlong still laughed at her. Aria seethed and plotted to tell Hachi how much Arlong loved his gym shirt, and that Arlong secretly wished for more for Christmas.

Next Arlong did weights. Aria watched him lift a 300lb weight with ease and decided she would be fine setting the bar at 10lb. Arlong laughed at her. He added more weight to his reps, showing off. Aria was too distracted by his muscles to give a damn.

The treadmill was something Aria was good at. She never had a problem with running. If Aria had cared about sports, perhaps she could have joined the track team. Arlong actually told her he was impressed with her. 

Sooner than either of them had expected, they had to leave. They both had one last class for the day, and then the train ride home.

“That too hard on you, Aria?” Arlong teased as he watched her gulp down water.

Aria shrugged. “I feel fine for now. Tomorrow, though…”

“You’ll live.” Arlong snickered. “See you in a few hours.” 

Arlong messed up Aria’s hair before running off, and Aria couldn’t even pretend to be mad at him.

Aria’s last class of the day felt like it took forever. She was starving and her thoughts kept drifting back to Arlong at the gym. When it finally ended, Aria found herself running to the station, eager to meet up with Arlong.

“You’re a pretty shitty teacher.” Aria greeted, with a grin on her face. She stood with her arm wrapped around the pole they always met at.

Arlong huffed and shook his head in disbelief. “That’s what you say, after I spend all that time helping you?” He stood next to her with an amused smirk.

“The only thing you did was teach me how to stretch! You didn’t bother with anything else!” Aria whined. “But it was fun, so I’ll forgive you.”

Arlong laughed loudly at that. “Forgive me for  _ what _ ?”

They bickered playfully for the rest of their ride together. 

* * *

Arlong curiously found Aria's desk surrounded by women when he walked into the classroom. Aria was in the center, her arms crossed as she sat on her desk with a bored expression.

"I know you're new to this city, so you probably haven't figured out all the dynamics and tensions between the races here." Arlong overheard one of the women say as he walked towards his usual seat. The tone of her voice made his hackles raise, and he had a bad feeling about what their classmates were going to say to Aria.

"Yeah, yeah!" Another crowed eagerly, before leaning in to whisper to Aria. Unfortunately, she wasn't quiet enough to avoid Arlong overhearing. "Like that guy who just walked in. He's a fishman. And not like, one of the  _ good _ ones. He's from the part of town that would rip one of us apart if we were found in his district."

His blood boiled at the human woman's words, and he tried to busy himself with pulling out his textbook and notes. He'd much rather stomp over there and sneer at those pitiful weaklings, but Aria's presence deterred him.

"That's part of the reason we wanted to talk to you." The first one spoke again. "We've seen you hanging out with him and, well, those sorts aren't exactly  _ safe _ ."

"What Haruhi means is that  _ fishfolk _ aren't safe. Mermaids and mermen are alright, but fishmen and fishwomen are monsters. You probably didn't see that arsonist they caught recently, did you? He was a fishman!" A third spoke up, louder than the other two.

Arlong was so, so tempted to show them how unsafe he really was. But dammit, it wasn't like they were  _ wrong _ , either. He'd had to keep Aria safe from the people in his neighborhood, and that arsonist had only been targeting humans or human-sympathizers. It just smarted so damn much that he couldn't say a word in his defense. It crossed his mind that Aria might actually take their shitty words into consideration. Aria could learn to be scared of him. His chest tightened.

"Yeah, yeah. Dwarves are fine to hang around. But stay away from Minks and Giants! The Long-Arm and Long-Leg aren't good either."

"We really want to see you succeed here, so please, keep this in mind!"

"Are you done now?" Aria asked, her voice cold and cutting. Arlong looked up from his notes and saw the sheer contempt on her face. "I'm sick of hearing your voices. Go bother someone else with your worthless opinions."

The pure arrogance normally would have disgusted him, coming from a human. Instead he grinned triumphantly. What had he been worried about? Aria walked to the beat of her own drum. She wasn't going to be swayed so easily. But he was relieved all the same.

The women looked stricken. The leader managed to summon up so courage, stammering "y-you should really be nice to us, you know! We're just looking out for you!"

Aria paid her no mind, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "Did you not hear me? I told you to leave me alone."

The women shared an angry glance before separating and going to their respective seats.

The rest of class was aggravating. Arlong sat near the back, and he saw the group of women angrily messaging each other on their laptops. One of them had even made a shitty ms paint doodle of Aria, that he saw them upload to some social media site.

Aria paid them no mind, taking notes as studiously as she usually did. When class was dismissed, she walked over to him with a smile. "Hey. You wanna get lunch, Arlong?"

He knew she was just doing this to fuck with those other humans, but he still grinned widely at her offer. "Yeah, sure."

Aria looped her arm around his, and Arlong was so,  _ so _ tempted to send a smug smirk over towards those racist twats. He had heard one of the gasp in horror at Aria's friendliness, and it only encouraged Aria to get closer.

They walked past the one who had made the shitty drawing of Aria, and Arlong felt nothing but glee as he nudged her laptop hard enough that it fell to the floor with a  _ snap _ that meant nothing good. "Whoops. You should keep your stuff away from edges."

Aria tried to contain a snicker and failed spectacularly.

Once they were far enough away from the classroom, Aria gave him a sly smirk. "That was a bit mean, with that homework we have coming up."

Arlong scoffed. "Hardly. I heard all that shit they said. And then I had to watch them turn on you."

Aria blinked up at him curiously.

"All throughout class they kept sending messages tearing you apart over the pettiest shit, like they were in middle school. Even saw 'em make some shitty drawing they put online."

Aria's lip curled in distaste. "Well, it's not like they have anything particularly valuable to say, so shit-talking must be all they're capable of."

"They're gonna try and tank your reputation after that, I bet." Arlong warned.

That cold, indifferent look settled onto Aria's face again. "They're not even worth my time, Arlong."

He grinned down at her, noting that she still hadn't let go of his arm. He didn't mind. He liked her soft, coconut-scented frame pressed against his. Especially after today. "And I am?"

Aria graced him with a soft smile. "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by the image of Arlong in booty shorts, flexing in front of a full-length mirror.


	4. In Search of Good Company and Good Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aria learns two things. One: Hachi and Arlong are roommates. Two: Arlong is a day-drinker.

Aria walked into the cafeteria, intent on getting something to eat and relaxing a bit before she went to work at the library for a couple hours. The smell of food wafted to her nose, and her stomach complained loudly.

It wasn't until she was standing in front of the hot case, staring at all the delicious food, that she decided to dig through her bag for her wallet.

She pulled out nearly everything in her search and wanted to wail unhappily when she couldn't find it. She must have left her wallet on the kitchen counter that morning. With a pout, she decided she'd just go without lunch today. It would suck, but it was her own fault.

She decided to ease her suffering by leaving the cafeteria before the smell of food drove her crazy. She was almost to the doors when she heard someone calling for her.

"Ah! Aria! Hey!"

Aria turned to see Hachi waving emphatically from a table. Arlong sat with him, looking like he was completely bored. She smiled and headed over to them.

"You two hang out here?" She hadn’t seen them here before.

Hachi nodded. "Sometimes. I usually bring my own lunch."

Arlong scoffed. "But today he forgot it."

"Yeah, I did." Hachi laughed, completely unabashed. "But the food's not too bad here."

"It's too damn expensive." Arlong complained.

Aria smirked. Arlong had such a tight wallet, didn't he?

"Aside from that, I mean." Hachi said. "You have class soon?"

"Not for another couple hours. I just wanted to relax before I went to work at the library."

Arlong shook his head, a grin on his lips. "Of course you work at the library."

"Hey, a girl's gotta eat somehow." Despite her better judgement, she sat down with them. Hachi had already eaten, judging by the dirty plates on his side of the table, but Arlong hadn't. Knowing Arlong, he wasn't going to buy anything from the cafeteria. Aria had spied him with vending machine food a couple times as he walked between buildings.

"You going to grab anything? We can watch your stuff." Hachi offered.

Aria shrugged, feigning indifference. "Nothing really looked good today." Arlong raised a brow but didn't say anything.

"You shouldn't just skip lunch, though." Hachi protested. Aria pointed to her thermos full of coffee.

"I'm sure I'll be fine with just this."

"Tch. I'm sure you'll wind up whining about being hungry later, just like Chew." Arlong said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "At least grab some chips or something."

"I won't whine. Don't worry about it." Aria said, crossing her arms. Her stomach betrayed her, growling audibly.

Hachi busted out laughing while Arlong rolled his eyes. "I think your stomach disagrees with that, nyuu!"

Arlong sighed and stood up. "I'm going to get food, anyway. We'll find  _ something _ for you."

"I don't want anything." Aria insisted. It was difficult for her to accept help, even though she had made more attempts to rely on Hachi and Arlong.

Arlong scowled. "Whatever, then. Starve if you want." He walked away from the table, shoving his hands in his pockets.

A few minutes later, Arlong returned with an armful of various vending machine food. He tossed a bag of potato chips at Aria, which she failed to catch. It wound up smacking into her shoulder.

“Hey!” Aria snapped. She rubbed her abused shoulder, though it didn’t hurt.

“Shut up and eat it. You’ll be useless for our workout later if you don’t eat anything.”

Aria pouted but ate the chips. They tasted delicious, in that way free food always tastes when you’re flat broke.

“...Thank you for the chips.” Aria grumbled once Hachi had left for his next class.

“You’re welcome.” Arlong waved her off. “Don’t be such a brat about it next time, though.”

Aria scowled and stuck out her tongue at him.

* * *

Aria was surprised to find out that Hachi lived with Arlong.

They had a comprehensive test in their cooking class together, and Hachi and Aria intended to spend the day testing out recipe ideas so that they could ace it. Aria's apartment ceiling was much too low to have someone as tall as Hachi in, so they decided to hang out at Hachi's.

Hachi was waiting for Aria when she got off at Arlong's stop, much to her relief. Now that she'd lived in the city for a couple months and paid attention to the news, she knew how careful she needed to be in the Fishman District.

They took a different route than Arlong had, so Aria didn't even notice where they were headed until they were already at the apartment complex.

It finally clicked that they were roommates when Aria recognized the room number on the door. Though, even if she hadn't realized it then, it was an unavoidable fact when she followed behind Hachi and Arlong was sitting on the couch with the rest of their roommates. They were cheering loudly at the tv as they watched some sports game.

"Back already, chuu?" Someone Aria didn't recognize asked. He had dirty blonde hair and sharp eyes. He was lanky and had visible tattoos on his bare arms. Aria could recognize his clothes as something fashionable, with a style that Jenna would appreciate.

"Yeah. I told you I was just going down to the station, nyuu!"

"You didn't mention your classmate was a human, Hachi." Said a fishman with curly hair and a stern face.

"Yo, Aria." Arlong greeted, giving her a friendly wave. The other two roommates shared a look, and one of them started to say something, but the announcer suddenly got very excited, and all of the men turned their attention to the tv. The team they must have been rooting for scored, and even Hachi cheered in delight.

"Sorry, Aria, but it might be a bit before we get started, nyuu. Our team is doing a lot better than I expected them to!" Hachi said excitably, before taking a seat on the couch.

"Ah, that's fine." She couldn't exactly get mad when Hachi was obviously super into whatever was happening on the tv. They had all day, anyway. It wasn't even noon yet.

Aria sat on the couch next to Arlong, who was closest to the door. The other two roommates sat in the middle, while Hachi sat on the far side of the couch.

Aria didn't fail to notice all the beer cans that littered the table, or the nearly empty snacks. It seemed like the game had been going on for a while. It had gone on long enough for Arlong to be buzzed or something similar, because he had a faint flush to his cheeks.

It was a bit hard for Aria to tell what was going on, as the camera angles kept rapidly changing on the field or panning over the audience. The sport seemed like an aquatic version of football. Even if Aria wanted to pay attention to it, the announcer was speaking in Neptunian, and Aria had practically no knowledge of that language. She was a bit surprised that Hachi and Arlong knew it, though she supposed it made sense as they were fishmen.

Aria tried her best to keep up, but the only way she could tell when something good or bad happened was by the reactions of the others on the couch. Arlong and Hachi were particularly into it, whooping and hollering whenever something good happened. They all cursed when something unfavorable happened.

Even though she couldn’t understand the game, it was still exciting with everyone else’s energy filling the room. Aria was a bit disappointed when the game finally ended, but Arlong and the others doing victory cheers made Aria laugh.

Arlong was way more relaxed than usual, and Aria had a pretty strong suspicion it was due to all the empty beer cars.

After the game ended, Hachi turned his focus back on Aria and their assignment. They had discussed a few recipes over the week, and they quickly narrowed it down to four. An entree, two sides, and a dessert.

“I drew up a quick list of all the supplies we’ll need.” Aria handed Hachi a slip of paper. Hachi nodded and grinned as he read the list, clearly excited to get started.

"I can go out and get this stuff, nyuu. It won't take me that long to grab it, and you can just stay here."

Aria pursed her lips. She didn't want to sit around waiting for Hachi to get back. Chew and Kuroobi had left to go...wherever, and Arlong was snoozing on the couch. There wasn't anything to  _ do _ but go with Hachi. "It'd be faster if we both went."

Hachi grimaced and shook his head. "No offense, Aria, but I'll be back quicker if I don't have to keep an eye on you."

Aria felt like that should be her line, but she relented. "Anything you want me to do while you're gone?"

Hachi hummed thoughtfully. "I have an essay due Tuesday..."

"No."

Hachi grinned. "Worth a shot, nyuu. But nah, just chill out here. I'll be back soon. Arlong might not even wake up before I'm back." His grin grew impish. "You could draw on his face and tell him Chew did it."

"I don't want to die." Aria drawled, causing Hachi to laugh loudly. He waved and then left, leaving Aria alone in the apartment with nothing to do but wait.

Aria cleaned up a little, discarding cans and paper plates into the trash. But those meager chores ended quick.

With a sigh, she sat down on the couch near Arlong's head. He was snoring softly, and she was tempted to give him a hard time about that later. She killed some time browsing news outlets, doing miscellaneous discussion posts for class, and reading history notes.

Arlong pushed himself up from the couch with a grunt. Aria's eyes flickered over to him, and she somehow managed to keep herself from smirking as Arlong wiped a bit of drool off his face. "Nice nap?"

Arlong jumped a bit, and that time Aria couldn't resist smirking any more. He hadn't even noticed she was still here.

"Good enough. What time is it?" He rubbed at his eyes and yawned.

"A little after one."

"Feels later." Arlong grumbled. His eyes scanned the room. "Where did Hachi and the others go?"

"Hachi went to grab cooking supplies. Couldn't tell you where the other two went."

Arlong scowled. "Why didn't you go with Hachi?"

"Apparently, I need a full-time baby sitter when I go out, or something. He said it would be faster if he just left me here." Aria informed. She pursed her lips and returned her attention to her phone. It had been nearly an hour and a half since Hachi left. Right,  _ much _ faster.

Arlong scoffed and stood up, stretching. Aria's gaze flicked up from her phone to follow the curve of Arlong's back. His loose shirt rose with his arms, and Aria found herself admiring the small bit of smooth-looking lavender skin. "He's not wrong, but if he was going to go shopping you could have come over later."

Aria knew that this district wasn't the safest, but it would be nice if everyone wasn't treating her like she was made of glass. It was the middle of the day.

She brushed off her irritation, pulling her knees up so that she could rest her chin on them. "Well, it's too late to change that. But if he's not back soon I'm going to die of boredom. I've finished all of my online quizzes already." Aria whined. Arlong laughed at her misfortune. Aria pouted.

Arlong walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass bottle out of the fridge. Aria couldn't tell if it was more beer by the label, but she had a suspicion that it was. She was mildly horrified when he opened it with his teeth, internally calculating all the dental costs. Then again, Arlong was a shark-type fishman. Perhaps he could regrow his teeth? Aria imagined him popping his teeth out and how ridiculous he would look until they regrew. She snickered.

Arlong turned around at the sound and caught notice of the now clean coffee table. "What happened to all the stuff?"

"I told you, I got bored. I cleaned up."

Arlong looked a bit sheepish. "Shit, how long has Hachi been gone?"

"Getting close to the two-hour mark."

Arlong scowled. He pulled out his phone and set his drink on the counter, typing irritably.

The tv had been off since Chew and Kuroobi left, but Arlong turned it back on. He changed the channel away from sports to a history channel and collapsed on the couch. Aria had guessed right in assuming his new drink was more beer.

"Hadn't pegged you for a day-drinker." Aria said, amusement heavy in her voice. On the tv, the narrator was discussing an ancient battle between Longarm tribe and the Longleg tribe. Aria only half paid attention, more interested by the way Arlong's adams apple bobbed as he drank.

"It's my weekend off, so I just wanna relax and be drunk." Arlong whined. Aria snickered. "Got plenty if you want some."

Aria definitely did not. In her admittedly meager experience, alcohol tasted like crap and it made her extremely sleepy. "Nah, I have way too low tolerance. I'll just pass out."

Arlong lit up at that knowledge. "Figures. You looked like a lightweight. Though now I'm curious as to what kind of drunk you'd be."

"Who knows? I'm not really curious enough to find out."

"But  _ I _ am." Arlong grinned, all of his teeth showing. "We can go find out when you're done cooking with Hachi."

"You'll just wind up with me unconscious somewhere." Aria drawled. "I'm sure being deadweight is more of a hassle to babysit."

Arlong shook his head. "No one has showed you  _ how _ to drink yet, have they?"

Aria raised a brow. "I feel like that's not a very hard concept to grasp."

Arlong rolled his eyes and gave her his most convincing smile. "Listen, I'll teach you how, and if you start getting too tired I'll take you back home. Alright?"

Aria pursed her lips, considering it. Drinking wasn't a useful skill, in her opinion, but she wouldn't mind spending more time with Arlong. And he had always kept her safe and sound before, hadn't he? She could trust him.

"Fine. But you're buying." She poked his cheek with narrowed eyes.

Arlong didn't look pleased with that, his grin tightening. "Sure, sure. I'll bet a lightweight like you won't cost much, anyway."

"You're probably right."

The door opened and Hachi came in with his arms full of bags. He nearly tripped taking off his shoes. "Sorry, Aria, I got caught up talking to someone and completely lost track of time!"

“Oh thank god you’re back, I almost died of boredom.” 

Hachi laughed sheepishly. Aria helped take some of the bags, and they unloaded everything onto the counter.

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing their recipes.

Every now and then, Arlong would swipe some of their food while they weren’t paying attention. It was good shit. He had no doubts that the two of them would ace whatever got thrown at them.

Arlong had been more worried than he let on when Aria came to the apartment. But everything had turned out alright. Arlong was surprised how natural it felt to have Aria helping Hachi cook in the kitchen.

He hoped things would stay peaceful for a long while.

Evening came faster than anyone expected. Hachi and Aria finished cooking several batches of their recipes, and there was plenty of food for everyone.

Chew and Kuroobi came home in time to taste test dinner. They were apprehensive, but Arlong clearly wasn’t dead yet, so they dug in.

“This is really nice, chuu. I’m sure you’ll do fine in class, Hachi.” Chew said after his second helping.

“Oi, Aria, when are you going to be done? I want to leave soon.” Arlong asked from the kitchen. He’d already finished eating and was washing his plate and silverware.

Aria grimaced. She was nervous. Why had she agreed to go drinking with Arlong?! “Soon. I just need to clean up a bit.”

“Don’t worry about it, Aria! I can clean up since you helped clean after the game.” Hachi grinned. “Just go and have fun drinking.”

Kuroobi raised a brow and glanced between Aria and Arlong, but said nothing. Chew gave Arlong a thumbs up, to which Arlong rolled his eyes at.

Aria caught neither of those things, too busy focusing on her poor life choices.

Half an hour later, Aria found herself on the train with Arlong, who had been grinning for the last twenty minutes and showed no intention of stopping. It was probably because Aria was so obviously nervous, and the menace got off on seeing her uncomfortable.

They arrived at the venue much sooner than Aria expected. The queue was moving quick and Aria and Arlong were inside before she could blink.

The music was loud and the beat was easy to follow, and Aria found herself wanting to dance almost the second they walked in. Her face burned as Arlong grabbed her hand, tugging her along behind him as he pushed through the crowd. His hand dwarfed hers, but it was warm and the webbing between his fingers was silky soft. He led her to a table near a corner, private enough that if she made a fool out of herself there wouldn't be too many witnesses.

“Alright. Let’s start you off with something simple.” Arlong said, flagging down a waitress. He ordered way more shots than Aria thought was necessary. 

Her heart was beating a mile a minute until the waitress returned with their drinks and a pitcher of water.

“You should like this one.” Arlong said, pushing one close to Aria. “Vanilla vodka, cranberry juice, and grenadine syrup. Toss it back.”

The shot was a deep red color and was only an ounce of liquor. Aria could handle that, right? She followed Arlong’s instruction and tossed it back. It was sour and sweet, the cranberry and grenadine masking that taste of the alcohol just enough that Aria didn’t make a face after drinking it.

“I didn’t think you’d actually be able to toss it back so easily!” Arlong laughed.

“I  _ have _ drank before.” Aria reminded. “I just don’t do it often.”

Arlong grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He threw back his own shot and whooped. Aria huffed in amusement. Arlong poured them both glasses of water and made sure they drank some before continuing. “You won’t get fucked up as badly if you keep yourself hydrated, Aria.” Arlong stressed.

Aria didn’t doubt that Arlong would be fine, so long as he drank plenty of water. But Aria was a lot  _ smaller _ than Arlong, and the alcohol was going to affect her much faster, water or not. Still, she was going to try her best to keep up. That first shot hadn’t tasted so bad after all.

* * *

Aria giggled. She felt great. She was tempted to go dance, but she didn't want to be lost in the sea of bodies alone. She imagined it would be far too overwhelming without something to ground her. Arlong seemed to be growing restless. Perhaps he'd want to go with her? She could count on him to keep her safe.

Before she could doubt herself, she stood up. A wide grin covered her face as she took Arlong's hand. "Hey, do you wanna dance?"

Surprise flitted over Arlong's face. "That doesn't seem like a thing you'd normally wanna do."

"Nah! I was on a dance team back in high school!" Admittedly, she had only joined because Farren had begged her to, but it had been more fun than Aria had expected. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

Arlong's eyes flitted over to the dance floor, and he considered it for a moment. "...Fine, let me finish these drinks." He downed two shots and picked himself up, never letting go of Aria's hand.

Aria was brimming with energy as she led Arlong out to the dance floor. The alcohol was numbing her senses and helping her tolerate being around so many other people. The floor had been overwhelming when they first came in, but now all Aria saw was Arlong. He looked a bit apprehensive, the way he kept running his tongue over his lower lip.

They found a spot as good as any in the crowd. Aria grinned at Arlong, hoping to reassure any doubts he had, but that just seemed to make him more flustered. Well, the only thing she could do now was to show him it was alright. She started moving to the beat of the music and was overjoyed when Arlong followed suit.

Club dancing was a bit different than the dancing Aria normally did, but it didn't take her long to start mimicking the movements of the other dancers. The flow of the beats made it feel more natural as she got more accustomed to it. Arlong had obviously done this before, so Aria wasn't quite sure why he had been so nervous until his hands settled on her hips and  _ oh _ this type of dancing was a lot more intimate with a partner.

It felt nice, his broad frame pressed against hers, and Aria laughed at how something so simple made her feel so good.

"Having fun?" Arlong asked, having to nearly shout over the thrum of noise and people. There was an amused lilt to his voice, and his lips curved into a smirk. Aria was glad his apprehension was gone as he moved against her confidently.

Aria nodded, raising her arms to brush her fingertips against his cheeks. His face was warm and slick with sweat, and she felt a sharp inhale of breath from him when she gyrated her hips just right. "Lots. Thanks for bringing me here."

"Good, I'm glad. I'll take you home whenever you're ready." She smiled up at him, and that apprehensive look slipped onto his face again. He licked his lip and she saw him mouth, "maybe sooner."

They danced for not nearly long enough before Arlong pulled her from the dance floor. Aria's heart was thrumming so hard she was surprised she hadn't cracked any ribs. Their table was taken, so Arlong found another and got them both water. He leaned against the back of the leather booth, his arm resting behind her, trying to catch his breath.

Arlong looked good in sweat-soaked shirts and his adams apple bobbing as he chugged water. That purple flush of exertion glowed in the club lighting, and his skin glistened with sweat. Once again Aria thought it was unfair how sinfully beautiful the man was.

"Did I manage to wear you out, oh mighty fishman?" Aria teased, sipping on her own water.

Arlong scoffed and gave her an amused smirk. "Yeah, I'll say you did. I have no idea how you still wanted to keep going."

"It's fun." Aria chirped.

"You're good at it." Arlong's fingers brushed against her back, and Aria leaned into his touch. "I'll make sure we come do this again sometime."

Aria gave a pleased hum. She was looking forward to that. Now that she was relaxing, exhaustion was slowly settling into her.

"Y'wanna go home, Aria?"

Aria nodded. Arlong went to pay their tab, an eager grin on his face. Aria watched him curiously. He cut through the crowd so effortlessly, but he was stopped by a group of fishmen. Arlong seemed to know them from somewhere, as he chatted with them amicably.

Aria was surprised when she saw Arlong take some shots with them. They were supposed to go home, Aria thought with amusement, not getting derailed by what looked like drinking games. Arlong looked excited, the grin on his face endearing.

Aria decided to join them, though she didn't have nearly as much as luck pushing through the crowd as Arlong had. Several people stepped on her feet and shoved her around, and she was a bit annoyed by the time she managed to make her way over.

"Arlong, you getting ready to go?" Aria asked, her voice nearly a yell.

"Ah, shit, sorry Aria. Haven't seen some of these guys in a while, so it might be a bit more." Arlong turned back to the others, who seemed a bit taken aback. He took advantage of their silence to launch into a story that Aria couldn't quite hear.

One of the fishmen, a giant wall of a man, looked her over with surprise written on his face before introducing himself as Jinbe. "It's rare to see Arlong here now, especially with a human."

Jinbe hadn't said it with malice, but it still set Aria on edge. "You've known him for a while, then?"

Jinbe nodded. "Since high school." He grinned fondly at Arlong. "He was a real menace back then, so it's good to see him softening up."

"Hey. What are you telling her?" Arlong snapped, though he didn't look too offended.

"Nothing yet, Arlong. But I'm excited to tell her all the embarrassing stories I know about you."

"Oh, no you don't!"

The two of them started to bicker like old friends, and Aria grinned at the sight. Arlong was cute.

* * *

Aria leaned against Arlong's broad chest, gripping his shirt for balance. Now that they were out of that atmosphere, she was exhausted. Arlong's shoulders were slumped in his own fatigue, the crook of his arm wrapped around the support beam as he held her waist steady. She enjoyed the quiet, peaceful moment of just standing there with him, wanting it to last forever.

As they were one stop away from the Fishman District, a group of men boarded the train. They glowered at the two of them, a sneer on their leader's face.

"Get a load of that girl, all cuddly with that fish. Whore."

Aria scowled, but just buried her face against Arlong. She heard a low growl from Arlong's throat, and his grip on her tightened. She looked up to see him glaring daggers at the human men.

"Ignore them, they're not important." Aria murmured. Arlong's gaze dropped down to hers, and warily he let the tension go from his stance.

"Hey, baby, if you don't wanna go home with him you can come with us." The man grinned lecherously, and Aria sneered at him.

Arlong bristled and bared his teeth threateningly, but all that seemed to do was make the hecklers burst into laughter.

"Careful, buddy, we don't want a slut like her anyway." They told Arlong.

"Hmph. As if she'd waste her time on pathetic humans like you."

They seemed to take offense to that. "We'd show her a better time than you ever could, fish."

Aria didn't particularly like being the object of their argument, but her head was swimming too much to protest. All she wanted to do was lay down. If she was lucky, maybe she could cuddle with Arlong. She briefly considered vomiting on the assholes, but decided making herself look gross in front of Arlong was unacceptable.

Arlong scoffed, a smug grin on his face. "Doubtful. She said it herself that you trash heaps weren't important enough to cause trouble with." His hand tangled with her hair, possessively, and sent pleasant shock down her spine.

Aria snickered. Well, he had embellished what she said, but he didn't miss the point.

The train slowed to a stop, and Arlong led her onto the platform. But not without sending a vulgar gesture to the men. Aria found herself thoroughly amused by the affronted looks on their faces.

Aria had never been more grateful to be in Arlong's apartment. She wanted nothing more than to collapse on his couch and to pass out.

Arlong saw her exhaustion and knew what she wanted. She followed him into his bedroom and he tossed her one of his button-up shirts. He left to go get them both some water, giving her the privacy to change. She came out and drank her glass eagerly, not realizing how dehydrated she was. Arlong tossed her clothes into the washing machine, and Aria was grateful he was so thoughtful. She had sweated through her top as they danced, though so had he.

Aria took the chance to freshen up it the bathroom, washing off sweat and the day's exhaustion. She really craved a shower, but Aria didn't think she could be awake long enough for that.

Arlong was sitting at his computer when she came back, wearing only a loose pair of shorts. Aria swallowed as she took in the sight of all his bare skin. She was tempted to run her fingers along his fin, to see if it was as smooth as the rest of him. He wasn't focusing on the screen at all, his eyes closed and his cheek digging into his palm as his elbow held him upright.

"You look tired," Aria said gently. Arlong opened his eyes a bit and grunted.

"I'll sleep after I've tossed our stuff into the dryer." He said, his voice laced with sleep.

"Dry them in the morning." Aria urged, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. He was warm under her touch, and Aria was tempted to try and greedily absorb it all like a cat.

"Won't remember 'em, and I can't have you running around like that all morning." Arlong gave her a grin. "Kuroobi wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

Aria hummed. She leaned down, her chin resting on his shoulder as she looked at Arlong's computer screen. It wasn't anything too terribly interesting, just his email.

"You get touchier when you've had enough booze." Arlong noted.

Aria grinned slyly. "Is that a problem?" she purred.

"Just telling you what kinda drunk you are," he said quickly. Arlong had licked his bottom lip before answering, and suddenly it dawned on Aria while he had been so apprehensive all night. She'd been flirting with him the whole damn time, and he liked it.

The knowledge made her feel good. She smiled against his skin. "Tonight was fun. I wanna dance with you more."

As Aria predicted, Arlong looked flustered for a split second. "Wasn't a bad way to spend a Saturday night at all."

"Thanks for taking such good care of me, Arlong." Aria purred, slowly withdrawing from him.

Aria heard the washer shut off, and Arlong barely managed to mutter a 'no problem' before he was out of the room. Aria snickered to herself. She probably shouldn't be teasing him so much, but it was nice to know she had some sway over the sinfully handsome shark.

She grabbed a pillow off Arlong's bed and started looking for the blanket she usually used when she slept at his house, but after several minutes she still couldn't find it.

When Arlong came in, she asked him about it. He blinked tiredly at her as he tried to remember where he put it. "I think...Chew borrowed it? Probably. I saw him with it yesterday."

"Do you have another one?" Aria asked, pouting slightly. That blanket was nice and soft, and it smelled good.

"No." Arlong said. He crossed his arms and swallowed roughly before suggesting, "just sleep in my bed."

Aria sucked in a breath. Arlong looked completely serious. She certainly wasn't against the idea, the thought of sleeping in an actual bed instead of on the couch vastly more appealing. And she had wanted to cuddle with Arlong, hadn't she? Her luck today was extremely good, no matter how hard her heart was thumping.

"...Okay."

Arlong's lip curved into a pleased smirk, and it made her stomach flutter. He turned off his monitor and the lights and got into bed. Aria was grateful for the darkness hiding her flustered expression as she crawled in next to him.

His arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her flush against him, and Aria inhaled sharply. He buried his face into her hair and let out a pleased sigh, like he'd been wanting to do this all day. Though if he had, Aria couldn't blame him, because she'd been wanting this too. His embrace was warm, pressed up against his hard chest, and his scent was soothing. Aria quickly found herself relaxing and fell asleep wanting this every night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by Kuroobi, who knows Arlong goes to bars to get laid, and Chew, who encourages Arlong to thot it up.
> 
> NSFW stuff next chapter.


	5. In Search of Avoiding Awkwardness After You've Fucked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arlong wakes up horny. Aria wakes up horny. They immediately feel awkward about their actions during horny on main.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter is smut. You can skip it, but honestly, why would you?

Arlong came to, lazily and without any hurry. It was still the weekend, and he wanted to enjoy his time in bed. His dreams had been strange but pleasant, full of a giggly and drunken-faced Aria who was eager to dance with him. Her hips had filled his palms and he could almost feel the rough denim of her shorts under his fingers. Her back arched to the music as her hips swayed against his thighs, taunting him with an enticing feel of her ass.

Bare skin slid against his side, and suddenly there was a warm, soft body flush against him. Arlong blinked sluggishly until he recognized Aria’s sleeping face, and then he was wide awake.

“Ah-aria?” tumbled from his mouth before he could stop it. Aria stirred in response, a sleepy inquisitive noise coming from her throat.

Arlong racked his mind for a reason she’d be here, in his bed, but he came up blank. He knew they’d done nothing more than sleep because if she’d let him taste her, that dainty neck would’ve been marred in bitemarks. He bit back a groan as he was suddenly aware of his already half-hard shaft twitching awake as he took in Aria.

Her hair was everywhere, an explosion of pink that demanded his attention. Her dark lips were parted slightly, letting out soft, gentle breathing that was becoming less deep with each passing second. The shirt he’d given her to wear was a deep purple button-up, with a lighter purple splotch pattern. The collar was low and twisted, the smallest hint of ochre breast peeking out.

She was a sight he wouldn’t mind waking up to every morning.

Aria groaned as she slowly came to; she buried herself into his bare chest, the soft pads of her fingers running up his back. She was warm and soft and her breathing left goosebumps on his skin. She pulled away ever so slightly, releasing her arm from underneath her so that she could rub her eyes.

There was no way Aria didn’t notice his erection pressed up against her stomach. Arlong licked his lips and waited for her to say something for several long, painful moments. Aria, ever the difficult one, just continued to rub the sleep from her eyes. The tired moan that fell from her lips made his cock twitch. Arlong grit his teeth, his face flushing in embarrassment.

Arlong had no time to prepare himself for what would happen after the amused smirk that formed on Aria’s lips, too caught off guard by the sudden mischievous glint in her sleepy eyes.

She pushed herself up, and Arlong’s eyes followed the dip of fabric, revealing Aria’s bare shoulders underneath his shirt. The slender curves of collarbones drew his attention, and the soft column of her neck begged for his teeth.

He didn’t even notice as she pushed him onto his back until she was straddling his stomach, too entranced by the dusky skin that glimmered in the morning sun. Then he was far too aware of her plush, full thighs on either side of him, barely covered by his button-up. He let out a strangled groan as he realized her ass was just a hair’s breadth away from his length.

That mischievous smile on her lips betrayed the innocent way she gently folded her hands on his bare stomach. “Arlong,” Aria nearly sang, “do you remember what happened last night?”

His mind blanked as he tried to remember something,  _ anything _ that would explain this current predicament. He remembered going out to drink with her and leaving the apartment. Dancing with her in the club. Too many extra shots with Jinbe. Nothing that followed.

“No?” His voice came out an octave higher than usual, and he felt unsettled when Aria’s smile only grew. Her blunt teeth poked out between her lips, and Arlong idly imagined them gazing across his shoulders.

“That’s a shame.” Aria purred, her eyelids lowering to a half-lidded and sultry state. “You were so sweet, telling off those men for me.” She tapped her index finger against her bottom lip thoughtfully.

All he could manage was a “yeah?”, his mind refusing to stop imaging Aria’s lips puffy and parted and bruised. He barely caught her calling him ‘sweet,’ an adjective that had never once been used to describe  _ him _ . Hachi got that all the time, but Arlong was lucky to be given any sort of praise at all. Surely Aria must be drunk or  _ something _ if she was calling him sweet.

Arlong’s thoughts were cut off by Aria hovering over him, that wicked smile still on her lips as her hands settled on either side of his neck. The shirt she wore dipped down even further, revealing her parted cleavage. Arlong forced himself to focus on Aria’s eyes, though the sultry look she was giving him only made his hands want to roam all over her body. His hands found themselves on her hips, and Aria gasped in delight.

“You always take such good care of me.” Aria purred. Her hair tickled his skin, the soft curls brushing against him as she leaned down.

“You’re a damn handful,” Arlong growled, though there wasn’t any bite to his words. Aria tilted her head in amusement, her brows raising at his word choice. Arlong felt his face burn at her raspy chuckle.

“I suppose I am. I wanted to reward you somehow.”

Reward him? Arlong barely restrained a shiver at her words, his blood rushing to his loins. He’d already been so aware of her every move since she woke, but now the sensation of her bare thighs around his waist was maddeningly brought to the forefront of his mind. A delighted laugh fell from Aria’s lips, and she leaned down even further. Arlong ran a hand up her spine, her slight frame feeling so damn good under his broad hand. He could feel her breath against his lips as she angled her face to avoid his rostrum. The distance felt like torture, as he waited with baited breath for her to do as she pleased.

Arlong completely froze at the sound of his ringtone, and Aria jumped. Her startled eyes landed on his phone as she straightened up. A beat of indecision passed before Aria reached over and grabbed it off the windowsill. Arlong took it with a heavy scowl, pushing himself up to look at the caller id.

It was Tiger.

Arlong wanted to curse at his brother’s poor timing. Instead he answered the call gruffly.

“Did I wake you? You sound so grumpy!” Tiger gave a booming laugh, so loud that Aria winced and made a move to get off Arlong’s lap. Arlong growled, pulling her back by her waist. The surprised squeak that fell from her lips made his day.

That didn’t mean he still couldn’t pull off a disgruntled, “Might as well have.”

Aria shifted until she was comfortable, and Arlong couldn’t deny how pleasing it was to have her in his lap. He could feel the warm heat of her core through the thin cloth of his pants, and it was all he could focus on.

“Sorry! I just wanted to remind you about our meeting with the Minister of the Right later today.”

“That’s not until four.” Arlong groused. “There’s no reason to call to remind me about that at,” he checked the clock, “eight in the damn morning.”

“You’re usually up by now.” Tiger replied. Arlong rolled his eyes. He idly played with Aria’s curls, pulling them taut and then letting them spring out of his grasp.

“That’s because I have class on the weekdays. You could have just texted me all this, and I would’ve seen it when I got up.”

“I know you like your beauty sleep, but that’s no reason to waste all your free time in bed.” Tiger chided. Aria snickered. Tiger paused for a moment, and then asked, “Is that a girl I hear?” Aria winced and covered her mouth.

“None of your damn business.” Arlong growled. Tiger laughed at his expense.

“No wonder you’re so cranky. I’ll let you get back to your lady friend. See you later today!” Tiger ended the call before Arlong could get a word in edgewise.

Arlong huffed and glared at his phone. “He’s so annoying sometimes.”

Aria snickered. “You seem to be on pretty good terms, though.”

“Of course.” Arlong scoffed. “I wouldn’t have even gone to Raftel if it weren’t for him.” Aria tilted her head curiously, but Arlong didn’t feel like explaining. “That shit’s not til much later today. We have plenty of time for…”

Arlong’s brain caught up with what he was about to say. This was Aria, not someone he met at a bar. He couldn’t just-

Aria grinned up at him slyly. Her fingers ghosted against his bare chest, leaving goosebumps on his skin and fire in his veins until her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. “What were you wanting, exactly?” She purred.

She was going to be the death of him.

“I want  _ you _ .” Arlong said. Aria’s eyes widened in surprise, rose dusting her cheeks. His hand captured the nape of her neck, pulling her towards him, and his mouth took hers in a delightfully aggressive way. He’d been wondering for months if her lips were as soft if they looked, if they tasted as sweet as he imagined they would. Arlong didn’t have to wonder any more as Aria mewled against his tongue, hers flicking against his.

He regained just enough of his senses to break away. “If you want me to stop, tell me  _ now _ .” He snapped, his breathing haggard and desperate. He didn’t want her to tell him to stop, his blood full of hormones egging him on. But already Aria’s lips were puffy and bruising from his affections, and Arlong knew he ought to let her have an out before she fell in too deep.

“No,” Aria panted, her tongue lapping at her lips, “I don’t want you to ever stop.”

He barely registered his phone falling from his grasp. His hand tangled in her cotton-candy curls and pressed against the arching small of her back. Her soft lips eagerly pressed against his, a heady moan rumbling from her throat. Lithe fingers ran across his cheek as Aria kissed him deeper.

Arlong’s shorts grew uncomfortably tight. He groaned and tried to shift his position, needing some relief. He felt Aria’s lip curve upward in amusement. She taunted him, rubbing her plush thigh against his length. He broke the kiss, scoffing at her displeased whine. It turned into a whimper of pleasure as he nipped at her neck, sucking at the delicate skin until there was a blossoming mark.

“You make such pretty noises.” Arlong purred, flicking his tongue against the column of her neck and eliciting a shuddering moan. He craved more of them, but, “don’t be too loud unless you want the others to hear.”

Aria nodded, and she bit her pretty little lips to muffle herself when he gave her another love-bite. Arlong loved the way her hands roved his shoulders and chest, desperate to touch him. How long had she been wanting to touch him like this? The thought made him eager to reciprocate.

As much as he enjoyed Aria wearing his shirt, he knew she’d look better without it. The buttons came undone easily. He watched Aria’s expression turn flustered as he pulled his button-up apart, chewing on her lip again with an adorable little pout. His eyes widened in appreciation, and he couldn’t help the crooked smirk that slipped onto his face.

Soft bronze skin begged for his touch, but he didn’t know where to start when everything looked so damn good. The soft curves of her wide hips and stomach were so enticing to run his fingers across, but her dusky areolas and her perky nipples were just as lovely. And then there was the temptation to just rip her out of her lacy purple panties and have her bared completely to him.

Aria made his choice for him, pulling his hand to her breast. Arlong squeezed the soft, supple flesh.

Her back arched as she leaned into his touch. He ran his thumb against her nipple, and her areola hardened under the delicate pressure. A soft whimper fell from her lips. Arlong wasted no time sliding his shirt off her shoulders, letting it pool around her knees. She shivered as her hot skin hit the cool air, and goosebumps rose on her skin.

Her arms anchored around his neck, fingers burying into his hair as he effortlessly picked her up. Arlong had admired the way her ass looked in tight cutoff shorts those first few weeks, and now it was firm in his broad palms. Aria let out a ragged gasp as his mouth claimed her pert nipple, his jagged teeth grazing the sensitive flesh. Her breasts tasted sweet and Arlong left dark marks all over, savoring the feel of her supple flesh under his teeth and lips. He took his time, savoring the muffled mewls in his ear until the scent of Aria’s arousal became too much to ignore.

Arlong set her down on the bed, and Aria helped him out of his shorts with a wicked, gleeful grin. Arlong loved the fact she was so eager, and he wanted nothing more than to hurry and sink his already weeping cock into her. But the way Aria’s eyes widened at the sight of him gave him the sense to not rush. Aria was so small in comparison to him, a fact made more apparent as he settled between her plush thighs. Her fingers delicately brushed against his member, tracing the pulsing veins, and he let out a heady groan.

Aria’s hesitation was replaced by an impish smirk. Arlong retaliated by pulling her lavender panties off in one fluid motion, tossing them carelessly off the bed. The flustered look on her face wasn’t something he wanted to forget. It didn’t last long, as Aria quickly grew more interested in the sharp inhales of breath Arlong made as she explored his cock, learning his sensitive spots at a worryingly quick pace.

Arlong felt his face burn as he let out a desperate grunt that made Aria giggle.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” Aria teased, her index finger tracing his slit. Her husky voice only made him shudder, his hips rutting on their own into her palm.

“I think you’re having a bit too much fun,” Arlong growled. Aria gave him a coy smile. It vanished when Arlong ran his thumb against her clit, her entire body submitting to him. Her fingers grew lax around his cock as he rubbed small circles against the bundle of nerves, her eyes becoming hazy with pleasure. Arlong grinned and pulled her closer, his cock pressing flush against her. She squirmed in anticipation, her body tensing.

“Relax for me, baby.” Arlong urged, his breath fanning against her neck. Aria nodded, her teeth biting her lip. Her canal was wet and tight, and Aria mewled desperately at the sensation of his fingers moving inside of her. Arlong enjoyed the way her eyes fluttered shut as he tested her elasticity, her breathing becoming more and more erratic. He could feel her core growing warmer and warmer, his fingers growing slicker.

Aria whimpered, her back arching off the bed. Her fingers clutched at the bedsheets, and Arlong laughed in delight. She looked so marvelous writhing from his touch. “You’re so eager for me.”

Aria couldn’t manage more than a pout, and she rutted her hips against him in frustration. The friction against his cock made him groan, and Aria smugly smirked up at him.

Arlong kissed the side of her neck soothingly. “Just a little wider, baby. Don’t wanna hurt you.” He murmured, before sliding another finger in her wet canal. She was so tight and warm. His cock throbbed eagerly as he imagined how good she would feel around him. Aria must have been imagining him as well, as one of her hands stroked him in time with his fingers.

Aria was nearly at the point of begging by the time she was finally prepped enough to take him. Arlong rewarded her patience with a quick peck before grabbing a box of lubed condoms that he had tucked between his bedframe and his bed. He snatched one out and carelessly threw the box on the floor. Aria licked her lips impatiently as he slipped it on, her hips squirming in anticipation.

He grinned down at her as he got settled between her thighs and teased her entrance. Aria whined, her eyes pleading with him to take her. Her lithe fingers cupped his cheek and brought him down to kiss her, and Arlong took the opportunity to press inside. He swallowed her heady moan of pleasure eagerly and pulled her legs around his waist.

Aria’s fingers found purchase on the back of his shoulders as he found a rhythm. She mewled against his mouth, and he desperately tried to get her to make as many of those noises as possible. The little moans and shuddering sighs only made his blood sing, and he wanted nothing more for her to let loose enough to cry out his name.

Her thighs began to tremble, and her wails became more desperate and needy. Arlong ran his tongue down the column of her neck, and she let out a shocked gasp of, “ _ Arlong _ !”

A heady wave of pleasure went down his spine, and he rewarded her by changing his angle so he could hit her deeper and deeper. Her nails dug into his skin, surely leaving crescent-shaped cuts. Her inner walls shuddered and tightened around his cock, and he was never going to forget the moan she made as she came. He wanted her to make that noise again and again, and even with how worked up he was he was sure he could get it from her at least once more before he was spent.

Arlong picked Aria up easily in his arms, holding her so that he could ravish her as he pleased. Aria buried her face into his neck, the soft moans vibrating against his skin and spurring him on. She felt so good, her soft, burning body pressed against him completely. Her teeth nipped at the edges of his gills, and the heady groan he gave only made her more eager. Her tongue flicked out, lapping at the sensitive edges, and he shuddered.

Aria’s whimpers became frantic again, her thighs trembling in his hands, and she came hard. Arlong followed at the sound of her desperate cry of his name. He rode it out, enjoying the fluttering of Aria’s walls around him.

Spent and exhausted, Arlong set her down on the bed. Reluctantly he pulled out and tugged his condom off, tossing it in the trash near his desk. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to catch his breath. His eyes roved over Aria, drinking in every inch of her. Her chest rose and fell, her breathing erratic as she came down from her climax.

She looked so damn magnificent that it took his breath away. Arlong leaned over and kissed her, savoring her afterglow. Aria smiled up at him and his heart skipped a beat. That smile of hers always made him weak. Aria’s fingers traced his jawline, soft and delicate and explorative. He swallowed, having no words to help him with  _ this _ .

Sex was usually just one-night stands with people he met while drinking. They’d be gone in the morning before he even woke up. Never had he dealt with the aftermath, and none of them had ever looked at him with such clear  _ affection _ . Even if they had, he never would have wanted to return it like this.

Another soft, gentle kiss. Aria hummed pleasantly. His throat constricted.

“I need a shower.” He blurted, and he tossed on some clothes and dipped.

Arlong cursed every action he took since he woke up while he stood under the shower’s spray. He was so tempted to just beat his head against the tiled wall. What had he done? Aria was  _ Aria _ . The endearingly grumpy human who he had class with twice a week and rode the train with every morning. Yeah, her smile gave him heart palpitations and she smelled sinfully sweet and Arlong was still reeling from the way her lips felt on his. But she was human. It was a miracle he was even friends with her.

Arlong groaned and shook his head. Maybe if he explained to her it was a mistake, she would understand?

“ _ You always take such good care of me, I figured I ought to reward you _ .”

Arlong flinched at the memory. Calling it a mistake would definitely cause Aria to hate him. He could imagine the scornful look he would get. But what could he do?

Arlong reluctantly stepped out of the shower. He fretted the entire time he got dressed.

When he stepped out into the hallway, he was relieved Aria wasn’t in the common room or the kitchen. Perhaps she’d gone home? That would solve a lot of his immediate problems.

Life didn’t work out that way this time. Aria was laying on his bed and scrolling through her phone, now dressed in her own clothes. The clothes he remembered wearing yesterday were beside her, smelling of dryer sheets.

Arlong licked his lips. “You gonna take a shower?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.” Aria said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Arlong was relieved. They’d avoid any awkward conversation for a while more. Arlong tossed her a clean towel as she headed towards the bathroom, and then collapsed into his bed the moment he was alone.

The sheets smelled like sex. Hell, the whole room did. Arlong groaned at the heady scent. He popped open a window and then pulled all the blankets off his bed. He went to the laundry closet and stuffed the sheets in the washer and set the machine. He’d start it after Aria finished bathing.

His stomach growled and Arlong wondered if taking Aria out to breakfast was a good move or not. Making her breakfast sounded like it would give her the wrong idea, but so would just ditching her to go get breakfast for himself. Arlong groaned. He’d just have to wait and see what Aria wanted to do. The shower shut off just as he decided to wait.

Kuroobi’s door opened, and he walked out. “Please don’t have sex before I leave for work.” Kuroobi said dryly, grabbing an apple off the counter as he walked by. “The walls are way too thin and I don’t need to hear that.”

Arlong scoffed and crossed his arms. “Leave for work sooner, then. I thought you had a morning shift today.”

“Originally. But they need someone for midshift now.”

“Then this isn’t my problem.” Arlong said tersely. Kuroobi smirked and shook his head. He waved goodbye and left.

Aria finally stepped out of the bathroom five minutes after Kuroobi had left. Arlong was grateful she’d waited so that Kuroobi couldn’t put a face to the noises, but it looked like she heard the conversation with how embarrassed she was.

“Let’s go get breakfast,” Arlong said before Aria could further be embarrassed.

“Sounds good,” Aria replied, a hint of gratefulness in her voice.

It wasn’t until they were already eating that Arlong remembered he never actually turned on the washing machine. Breakfast was thankfully pleasant, Aria keeping conversation about their upcoming test in their shared class. She left to go home afterward, giving him a shy smile as the train doors closed.

Arlong returned home and started up his laundry before getting ready to meet Tiger. Now that the day was getting back on its track, everything felt less surreal. He didn’t feel panicked by the morning’s events anymore, though he wished he handled it better. Aria had enjoyed it and he had enjoyed it, and there was no reason for him to get worked up as he had. She was human, but that had just been sex. They would sort everything out later.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Tiger only gave him a little bit of shit about having a woman over, and Arlong just rolled his eyes and huffed. Arlong collapsed into his clean sheets that night. Idly, he checked his phone and saw that Aria was online.

> **[message sent – 10:57pm]:**
> 
> hey you get home alright
> 
> **[message received – 10:57pm]:**
> 
> Yeah, everything was fine. Spent the rest of the day working on a shitty history essay.
> 
> **[message sent – 10:58pm]:**
> 
> lmao I remember having that teacher, their essays were a nightmare
> 
> **[Message Received – 10:58pm]:**
> 
> I Hate It.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 10:59pm]:**
> 
> I can send you all of mine so you know what not to do
> 
> **[Message Received - 11:00pm]:**
> 
> That would be so helpful ty
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:01pm]:**
> 
> np babe

Arlong winced as he reread the message he had already pressed send on. He hoped Aria didn’t read too much into it. He got on his desktop and sent all the files from that class to her, refusing to check his phone until he was finished. He was relieved when there wasn’t a message.

> **[Message Sent – 11:05pm]:**
> 
> sent em
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:06pm]:**
> 
> Thanks!!
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:08pm]:**
> 
> lmao @ these filenames
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:08pm]:**
> 
> Is everything just a variation of ‘fuck history’???
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:09pm]:**
> 
> yes. bc. fuck history.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:10pm]:**
> 
> at the very least fuck his history. all he does is talk about the human involvement during those periods
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:11pm]:**
> 
> I noticed. We were covering the mink vs human war last class and he only talked about the human side? When we have like 6 mink students?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:12pm]:**
> 
> uhg he’s garbage
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:12pm]:**
> 
> Yeah thankfully I only have to take one history class with him.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:13pm]:**
> 
> no I heard he’s moving to the upper level classes next semester
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:13pm]:**
> 
> FUCK
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:14pm]:**
> 
> Guess I’ll have to wait til last minute when they announce teachers for the classes before signing up
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:15pm]:**
> 
> don’t you do that anyway
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:15pm]:**
> 
> No??? Then all the seats are taken. I try to sign up asap
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:16pm]:**
> 
> nerd
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:16pm]:**
> 
> wait til the last minute like the rest of us
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:17pm]:**
> 
> Never.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:17pm]:**
> 
> fight for your spot in class
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:17pm]:**
> 
> miss your chance to get good hours
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:17pm]:**
> 
> then get stuck with the 8am class like a real student
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:18pm]:**
> 
> A REAL student? A real student doesn’t sleep through his accounting class and then have to ask for notes
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:19pm]:**
> 
> hey no that’s exactly what a real student does
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:19pm]:**
> 
> stays up too late watching a Loguetown 99 marathon and then passes out during class
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:20pm]:**
> 
> isn’t that class for your major though??
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:20pm]:**
> 
> yeah but its not like the lecture that day was super important
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:21pm]:**
> 
> you take better notes anyway
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:21pm]:**
> 
> all color coordinated and shit
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:22pm]:**
> 
> Flattery will not get you my notes next time
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:22pm]:**
> 
> really? cus ive got a lot of good things to say about you
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:23pm]:**
> 
> It won’t!! Fuck you!!
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:23pm]:**
> 
> baby you already did
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:23pm]:**
> 
> and you enjoyed every second of it

Arlong was too amused to regret saying that. He was even more amused to watch Aria try and come up with a response to that, typing and then pausing for a good ten seconds before starting over.

> **[Message Received 11:27pm]:**
> 
> So did you!
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:28pm** ]: 
> 
> yeah, i did
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:28pm]:**
> 
> shame i didn’t get pictures
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:29pm]:**
> 
> What would you even do with those?
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:29pm]:**
> 
> nvm I don’t think I want to know.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:30pm]:**
> 
> why did you do that
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:31pm]:**
> 
> why did I do what?
> 
> [Message Sent – 11:31pm]: 
> 
> fuck me this morning
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:31pm]:**
> 
> not that im complaining
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:31pm]:**
> 
> just curious
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:34pm]:**
> 
> I just wanted to.
> 
> **[Message Received – 11:34pm]:**
> 
> I’m going to bed. Good night.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 11:35pm]:**
> 
> uh okay? night aria

Arlong decided he ought to get some sleep as well. He plugged in his phone and turned off all the lights before sprawling out over his bed.

It felt too spacious without Aria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sponsored by the idea of morning sex, coupled with the idea that Arlong's generally a one-night stand kinda guy.
> 
> It is also sponsored by the coronavirus, because they cancelled the anime convention I was going to go to AND DnD is cancelled tonight because someone has the flu. The ONE Saturday I have significant plans. *shakes fist at god*
> 
> Also, the sport that Arlong and Company were watching last chapter was actually Blitzball. THAT is sponsored by the fact that I see lots of Auron dick whenever I try to go on Pixiv to look for Arlong art.


	6. In Search of a Resolution to a Shitty Classmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aria and Arlong deal with the awkwardness of their relationship. Thankfully, Sanji comes in to be a menace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some Sanji-bashing in this chapter, because Aria wouldn't get along with him at all, and he was hella racist during the Arlong Park arc. Froggy, I *promise* this part was already written before your discussion on discord about how racist Sanji is.

Aria wasn’t able to get much sleep. She tossed and turned all night, anxiously worrying about how her morning train ride would go. She didn’t really want her relationship with Arlong to change. She liked things how they were. But she had woken up with his hard length pressed against her stomach and saw how he was looking at her, like she was an awe-inspiring diva, and she had acted on impulse.

Her self-indulgences always got her into trouble.

Arlong wasn’t terribly sweet, but neither was she. They were both too tired and grouchy most mornings to do anything other than give each other a nod or a smile in greeting. But as she grew to know Arlong over the last few months, she realized he was more than the sneering, sharp-faced man she initially thought he was. He was reliable, ambitious, self-assured, and always looked out for her. He quickly grew from a nosy jerk to a source of comfort and a grouchy but protective friend. And she grew fonder of him every time they met, considering how the damn shark made her stomach flutter and her mouth dry up.

Aria had thrown that comfortable, safe, budding relationship out the window that morning. Her body was sore and aching. Her neck and breasts were covered in hickeys. Worst of all was that she couldn’t stop replaying every single moment of it, until every fiber of her being was demanding she throw her pride out the window and do it all over again.

She didn’t know how she thought she was going to get away with having sex with Arlong. She had, technically. But now he was calling her ‘babe’ and teasing her and questioning her motives. Aria didn’t know how she was going to survive her train ride. She could just imagine the awkwardness.

As she made herself a quick breakfast, Aria considered not taking her usual commute that morning. Then she remembered she needed to meet with one of her teachers about an assignment and she groaned into her cup of tea.

Her palms were all sweaty as she gripped the support rail. She didn’t look up when the train came to Arlong’s stop, pretending to be focused on reading a news article. Arlong gave her a gruff greeting, his voice coated with sleep, and Aria managed to give him a small wave.

They were about ten minutes away from the campus stop when Arlong cleared his throat.

“Sorry. About last night.”

Aria blinked and tore her gaze from her phone to look up at Arlong. “Why?”

Arlong scratched his cheek and couldn’t meet her gaze. “Doesn’t matter why you did what you did, I guess. Figured you didn’t appreciate me teasing and asking you about it.”

She hadn’t appreciated those things, but she hadn’t expected an apology for them, either. Arlong was not the most sensitive of people, and his humor was crass on the best of days. “It was a bit annoying, yeah, but it was fine.”

Arlong nodded mutely. A few moments of silence passed between them. 

“I don’t want you mad at me. Or for anything to really change. Things are good as they are, right?” Arlong asked, quiet but with resolve in his voice.

A strange feeling bloomed in her chest. It was unpleasant and sharp against her heart.

He didn’t want anything to change, either. That was good, wasn’t it? 

“Yeah. They are.” She gave him a grateful smile, and Arlong grinned down at her, not noticing it was forced.

“Good.”

They stepped on to the platform together, and Aria wondered why her chest hurt so much.

* * *

Arlong was frustrated with himself. He knew he liked Aria. Thoughts of her kept swirling in his head, and the thoughts had only increased after they slept together. Especially the naughty ones. 

For a human, she was incredible. Aria actually made Arlong want to be protective. Aria made Arlong feel relaxed. Aria made Arlong want her.

But he had pushed her away from a deeper relationship. Arlong tried to tell himself it was for the best. This was going to be his last easy semester before he started much harder classes. Next semester he would spend all his free time studying terminology, and he wouldn’t have time for a woman.

Over and over again, Arlong kept telling himself it was for the best. He couldn’t have Aria.

A stubborn part of himself insisted that he _could_ , he was just being _dumb_. It grew louder and louder as Arlong sat through his morning lecture, frustrating him enough that the students around him gave a wide berth.

His foul mood continued into his second class of the day, and everyone stayed away. The teacher didn’t even bother calling on him when she randomly asked students questions, and she tended to call on everyone at least once.

Finally, Arlong decided he was being foolish. There was nothing he could do. Aria didn’t want to make their relationship more complicated, either. He wouldn’t fight himself over a woman who didn’t want more.

Arlong regretted not claiming Aria not ten minutes after he decided that, while he was heading to the maths building for their shared accounting class.

A blonde, swirly-eyebrowed man Arlong recognized from one of Hachi’s classes swooned over Aria. As he grew closer, Arlong could hear the mountains of praise the man was heaping on Aria. Initially, Arlong was worried. Perhaps this human was the reason Aria hadn’t wanted him?

He quickly shook the thought from his head. As if a scrawny human would appeal to Aria more than Arlong did. In fact, Aria looked outright annoyed at the man, but it didn’t look like she was going to get a word in edgewise against the blonde.

Arlong grit his teeth and hung back from heading to class. If Aria wanted the blonde gone, Arlong would make him gone.

“And Aria, your notes for history were so helpful! I don’t think I would have passed the latest exam without help from your beautifully labeled sections! It is not surprising that you have such high grades in that class when you work so hard!”

No wonder Aria had told Arlong that flattery wouldn’t get him notes anymore. Aria looked like she was going to smack the man herself. Brusquely she said, “thank you, Sanji. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Ah! But you’ll see me later today, actually.” He twirled around and clasped Aria’s hands,

“Why do you think that?” Aria’s annoyance was practically tangible. She tried to politely remove her hands, but _Sanji_ was too enthusiastically answering.

“I’m taking over shit-cook Patty’s classes for the day. He is, thankfully, out for the day due to an illness.”

“Oh, no.” Arlong nearly snickered at the abject horror in Aria’s voice.

“Worry not, my precious Aria!” Sanji consoled, unaware of _why_ Aria was horrified. Arlong wanted to rip Sanji’s hands off as he brought Aria’s hands up to his lips, kissing them. “I will be there to teach you today, and it will be tres magnifique!”

“That’s…that’s lovely, Sanji. I’m sure the others will appreciate your guidance.” Aria said, trying her hardest to pull her hands out of his grasp. Arlong couldn’t stand idly by anymore, not when she was so clearly frustrated with this guy.

“I can’t wait to try your cooking, either! I’m sure anything touched by your angelic hands will be to die for.”

Arlong clamped his palm down on the blonde’s shoulder. “You’re going to lose _your_ hands if you don’t let go of her.” He growled.

The blonde complied but whirled around and sneered up at him. “Oh yeah, fishface? Maybe I ought to fry you for dinner tonight.”

There was a moment where Arlong saw red, and he imagined how good it would feel to crush the lanky blonde human into the ground.

“How _dare_ you!” Aria snapped, and that was all the warning Sanji had before she punched him in the face.

Arlong watched as the racist garbage fell to the ground, mildly impressed by Aria’s left hook. “…Uh, wasn’t that guy suppose to be your instructor tomorrow?” He was fairly certain that punching teachers was a good way to get expelled. That was the only consequence that had held Arlong back, after all.

“I’m skipping that class if this chauvinistic scumbag is going to be teaching it.” Aria huffed, putting a hand on her hip as she glared down at Sanji. He was picking himself up slowly, and he winced at Aria’s words.

“You’re going to get in trouble. Probably.” Arlong sighed, crossing his arms. But Aria didn’t look concerned at all.

Aria slipped a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and crouched down next to the man. “Hey. So. If you don’t tell anyone that I punched you for being a racist piece of shit, I won’t tell anyone that I saw you installing cameras in the library’s ladies’ room last week.”

The blonde looked horrified, and his spine straightened completely at Aria’s threat. “Y-you saw that?”

Arlong really wanted to beat this shitty human to a pulp.

“I have it on video.” Aria chirped. “You aren’t very observant.”

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone about this anyway! You don’t need to blackmail me!”

“I wouldn’t trust scum like him even with the blackmail, Aria.” Arlong said. He sneered in disgust.

Aria tilted her head, considering. “Should I email the video to the chairman, then?”

“No!” Sanji yelped. “I’ll get rid of all the cameras.”

“By my cooking class?” Aria smiled, cold as ice.

“Yes! By then!” Sanji nodded quickly.

“Kuroobi has a free period until then. I’ll have him make sure this guy keeps his word, Aria.” Arlong pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Kuroobi, explaining the situation. Kuroobi was similarly disgusted by the human, and Arlong glared at the praise for restraining his temper.

Kuroobi showed up moments later, slightly out of breath. “This is the creep?”

“I’m not a creep!” Sanji protested. “I just want to give ladies the proper appreciation they deserve.” Kuroobi and Arlong shared a disgusted glance.

“I hope you die.” Aria said, bluntly.

“I still love you despite your cruelty Aria!” Sanji said. It took a great deal of mental anger-relief exercises for Arlong not to beat the shit out of Sanji. Arlong shoved his hands into his pockets, balling his fists. His teeth ground together. Aria was far too good for a shitty human like this, and the human ought to be grateful to even share breathing space with her.

Kuroobi shook his head and dragged the blonde away.

“You gonna be alright to get to class?” Arlong asked.

“You can tag along if you want.” Aria shrugged. “I should be fine, though.” It wasn’t as if they weren’t going to the same place, or anything.

Arlong checked the time on his phone. Still plenty of time before class. Though even if he was in a hurry, after seeing a creep like that harassing Aria he wasn’t going to let her go alone.

“I’ll come with you.”

Aria flashed him an amused smirk. “You’re so sweet. Protecting me and then escorting me to class.” She snickered.

Arlong huffed and refused to look at her. “You just would get into more trouble alone.”

“Whatever you say, Arlong. I’m sure the girls in our class would love to gossip about us coming in together.”

Arlong didn’t mind that at all. He even sat right next to Aria, forgoing his usual spot, and glowered at the students who were gossiping.

His phone buzzed halfway through class.

> **[Message Received - 12:26pm ]:**
> 
> Arlong, I’ve assisted the trash in taking down the cameras.
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:26pm]:**
> 
> Thankfully the library was mostly empty.
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:27pm]:**
> 
> I got his name and student id.
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:28pm]:**
> 
> Unfortunately he’s a pretty important chef where Hachi works.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 12:30pm]:**
> 
> really? dammit
> 
> **[Message Sent - 12:30pm]:**
> 
> so basically we can’t do shit against him huh
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:32pm]:**
> 
> You and I can’t, no. Your girlfriend probably can.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 12:40pm]:**
> 
> she’s not my girlfriend
> 
> **[Message Sent - 12:41pm]:**
> 
> but aria might be best to deal with this jackass
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:43pm]:**
> 
> I’m not dealing with any more of your issues today, Arlong.
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:43pm]:**
> 
> But denying that seems like a big one.
> 
> **[Message Received - 12:44pm]:**
> 
> Sort it out.

Arlong glowered at the phone. He didn’t need Kuroobi to tell him about his _issues_.

It really did not help that Aria had looked magnificent punching that asshole. Of course Arlong would have the hots for a woman like that.

Arlong pocketed his phone and tried to pay attention to the lecture. He couldn’t afford to get distracted with this.

* * *

“You should really report that jackass, Aria.” Arlong said between bites of his burger. “Kuroobi got his info.”

Aria frowned, and chewed her food more aggressively. She took several swigs of her soda to clear her mouth before speaking. “I mean, I’m not against going back on my word against a creep like that. But you literally just told me he’s Hachi’s boss.”

Aria wanted to heave a deep sigh. This was way more complicated than she liked. She didn’t like having other people’s lives affected by hers.

Sanji would know if she lodged a formal complaint against him. Normally, she wouldn’t care about that. But Sanji knew that she was friends and cooking partners with Hachi. He could easily retaliate by making Hachi’s life hell at work, if he didn’t outright get Hachi fired.

But if she didn’t do anything, Sanji would continue to be a creep on campus.

“This is such a pain in the ass.” Aria grumbled. Arlong hummed in agreement, and looked up from his phone.

“Honestly, he’s a lot less likely to retaliate towards you than he would be me or Kuroobi.” Arlong said. “I’ve had people looking him up, and he’s got some fucked up version of chivalry.”

Arlong showed her his screen, where one of his friends apparently typed a wall of text. Skimming it, Aria’s brow rose. This guy was apparently a nuisance to a lot of people.

“He sure gets into a lot of fights.” Aria murmured. “Been arrested a lot, too.”

“Yeah. Nothing on campus, though.”

Aria sat back and crossed her arms, considering. Getting involved like this was not her style. But she had a feeling Arlong would be disappointed in her if she let this go.

“Fine. I’ll report him.” Aria agreed, drinking her soda with reluctance.

“Good.” Arlong nodded. Suddenly he grinned, toothy and vicious. “And if he gives you any trouble, call me. Tiger would _love_ to get a creep like this off campus.”

Aria huffed. “Oh, don’t worry. If this gets that out of hand, you’ll be the first one I complain to.”

For some reason, Arlong cackled at that.

Arlong was waiting for his last class of the day to start when his phone buzzed. It was Tiger.

> **[Message Received - 7:27pm]:**
> 
> Arlong! I heard you and your lady friend got into some trouble today!

Arlong frowned. He should have known word would get around to Tiger, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon.

> **[Message Sent - 7:28pm]:**
> 
> yeah, nothing major though
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:28pm]:**
> 
> a creep was harassing her and she had to blackmail him to get him to stop
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:29pm]**
> 
> also she punched him
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:30pm]:**
> 
> Blackmail? Assault? Arlong, although I’m happy you’ve made a human friend, she sounds like a bad influence.

Arlong cringed. He probably should have worded things better.

> **[Message Sent - 7:32pm]:**
> 
> no its not that bad, promise. 
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:32pm]:**
> 
> the guy installed cameras in the ladies bathroom and she knew about it and she told him to take them down
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:33pm]:**
> 
> so it was the good kinda blackmail ok
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:35pm]:**
> 
> Now I understand why you were asking about this guy’s background, at least. But the assault?
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:36pm]:**
> 
> i tried to step in and the guys personality flipped
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:36pm]:**
> 
> he went from cooing all over her to being fuckin racist to me
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:37pm]:**
> 
> aria didn’t take too kindly to that
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:39pm]:**
> 
> You know I can’t condone violence, but I’m glad she stood up for you.
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:39pm]:**
> 
> Also, she has a very pretty name :)
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:40pm]:**
> 
> Jinbe sent me a picture of her. I hope I get to meet her soon, Arlong.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:40pm]:**
> 
> tell jinbe i’m gonna kick his ass
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:41pm]:**
> 
> Jinbe is just trying to be supportive, Arlong!
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:41pm]:**
> 
> He said you were acting very endearing towards her
> 
> **[Message Received - 7:42pm]:**
> 
> I’ll try to respect your time in the morning more now.
> 
> **[Message Sent - 7:45pm]:**
> 
> you are actually the most embarrassing person i know
> 
> **[message Sent - 7:45pm]:**
> 
> and i’ve seen chew in crocs and jean shorts

* * *

The rest of the week went smoothly. 

Hachi and Aria were both able to pass their cumulative test without an issue, despite Sanji being responsible for the grading. 

Sanji seemed apologetic, and somehow had gotten ahold of Aria’s email and sent her a lengthy, prose-filled email begging for forgiveness and kindness. Aria forwarded it to the chairman along with the video she had taken of Sanji installing the cameras. Then she promptly blocked him.

As Arlong had said, there wasn’t any retaliation yet. Hachi’s work life was still the same. Aria allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Things were okay, for now.

But Aria couldn’t help but feel agitated with herself. Even though she’d sworn to only remain friends with Arlong, she found herself relying on him. Aria kept asking for advice on what she should do if an unpleasant situation did happen. Aria kept close to Arlong’s side, as he insisted on walking her to class now. Worst of all, she felt grateful for his presence.

When Arlong was gone, she missed him. Falling asleep felt difficult. When she did manage to sleep, even her dreams focused on him.

Aria hated that she fell so hard for him. But it was a guilty pleasure she didn’t want to let go.

At the very least, Arlong seemed to be struggling too. Aria knew she shouldn’t be grateful for that. But every now and then he’d slip up and call her babe or be just a bit too flirtatious. Then he’d look like he just bit into something sour and change the subject.

It soothed the ache a bit.

But not enough.

* * *

> **[Message Received – 11:34am]:**
> 
> Arlong can I ask you for a favor?

Arlong stared at his phone in awe. In the months that he’d known Aria, she had _never_ asked him for a favor. Even the times she had begrudgingly accepted his help were because he had insisted she let him help.

It had taken a lot of time, but he had finally cracked her walls enough that she trusted him. His heart soared, and a grin spread over his face as he texted her back.

> **[Message Sent – 12:20pm]:**
> 
> yeah sure whats up
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:31pm]:**
> 
> One of my friends from home is coming to visit over the weekend and she wants to see some fun places before she decides to move up here.
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:32pm]:**
> 
> But uh
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:32pm]:**
> 
> I don’t actually ever go anywhere.
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:33pm]:**
> 
> Could you show us around?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:35pm]:**
> 
> wow you have friends besides hachi and me?
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:36pm]:**
> 
> Rude. I was pretty popular back home, you know.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:37pm]:**
> 
> sorry lmao I just can’t see it
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:38pm]:**
> 
> but yeah I can show you two a good time
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:38pm]:**
> 
> when are they suppose to come to town
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:40pm]:**
> 
> Next Friday morning. She’s checking out a few apartments and then coming to crash at my place.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:41pm]:**
> 
> lmao what. where is she gonna sleep
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:42pm]:**
> 
> My bed?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:42pm]:**
> 
> then where are you gonna sleep
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:43pm]:**
> 
> My bed?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:44pm]:**
> 
> did that get sent twice or are you actually going to have the both of you on that tiny ass mattress
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:45pm]:**
> 
> Its fine, we’ve slept like that before.
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:47pm]:**
> 
> fuck that. pack some clothes and both of you can crash at my place for the weekend.
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:50pm]:**
> 
> Won’t your roommates freak out if they find a human woman on the couch?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:52pm]:**
> 
> yeah but you can sleep in my bed. and she can sleep on my couch.
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:53pm]:**
> 
> No offense but that plan sounds worse than mine lol
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:53pm]:**
> 
> You can just tell your roommates you’re having company over, can’t you?
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:54pm]:**
> 
> yeah i guess.
> 
> **[Message Received – 12:56pm]:**
> 
> You don’t have to. I can just have her stay at my place, you know
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:56pm]:**
> 
> no I want you in my bed
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:56pm]:**
> 
> wait that came out wrong
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:57pm]:**
> 
> sorry
> 
> **[Message Sent – 12:59pm]:**
> 
> aria
> 
> **[Message Sent – 1:00pm]:**
> 
> aria that came out wrong
> 
> **[Message Sent – 1:01pm]:**
> 
> aria
> 
> **[Message Received – 1:03pm]:**
> 
> lol im not sure it did
> 
> **[Message Received – 1:04pm]:**
> 
> Sorry for giving you a scare, I called Jenna to let her know of the change in plans.
> 
> **[Message Received – 1:04pm]:**
> 
> But I won’t mind sleeping with you all weekend, if that’s all you want for showing us around town ♥
> 
> **[Message Sent – 1:08pm]:**
> 
> you’re an awful human
> 
> **[Message Received – 1:09pm]:**
> 
> And you’re my favorite fishman ♥♥♥
> 
> **[Message Sent – 1:30pm]:**
> 
> ♥

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by the fact that I love the idea of Arlong being in denial. Aria is also in denial. Kuroobi is fed up. Tiger is awkwardly supportive.
> 
> I want you to imagine Arlong doing all this shit when he gets that text from Aria: https://rboz.tumblr.com/post/75113442573


	7. In Search of Eager Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The weekend begins as Aria brings her friend Jenna to stay at Arlong's apartment. Aria teases Arlong and gets a strong reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about 70% smut. I'm not sorry about it.

Aria was nervous. She had left campus early to pick up Jenna and some clothes, and now that it was dark out she was heading over to Arlong’s for the weekend. She had never stayed at his place for so long, and after the last time she visited she wasn’t sure she’d be able to resist her impulses the entire time.

Jenna chattered amicably the entire way, completely oblivious to her friend’s distress.

“So we’re staying at your boyfriend’s place, hmm? What’s he like?” Jenna asked, batting her eyes innocently. If Aria hadn’t known her for so long, she wouldn’t have suspected anything from Jenna’s naïve act.

Jenna was an angel, honestly, after sticking with Aria through her rebellious people-hating years and then still dealing with Aria even though her misanthropy never truly went away. But she also knew just how to use her angelic nature to weedle information out of people. No one would ever suspect the sweetheart with the big brown puppydog eyes to be sleuthing for information, after all.

“Arlong isn’t my boyfriend.” Aria corrected, though it took a lot of effort to keep her voice even and the flush off her face. “He’s just a friend from school. We’ve hung out together a few times.” She wisely did not mention the fact they had slept together. Jenna would have a field day if she knew.

“But you trust him enough to stay at his place. You two must be close.” Jenna mused aloud. “You rarely slept over at my house, even when I wanted a sleepover.”

Aria scratched her cheek, feeling sheepish as she admitted her mistake. “Well, it’s more like…one time I got off early for food, thinking there was another train afterwards…and there wasn’t. And he let me stay at his place.”

“Aww. He sounds like a real Prince Charming.” Jenna cooed. Aria didn’t miss the way she was typing notes into her phone. “I hope he’s sweet.”

Aria made a face. Arlong was sweet in his own abrasive way, sure. And he could be charming when he wanted to be. But she didn’t want Jenna to get the wrong idea and to be completely sideswiped. “He’s grumpy most of the time, and he’s nosy and bossy. He’s racist towards humans most of the time, too. He doesn’t like spending money on anything but clothes and food. And he snores.”

Jenna giggled at Aria’s description. “But you like him, don’t you?” She twirled her mauve ponytail around her finger, grinning like she’d caught a big fish. And she had. The fish was Aria.

Aria felt her face flush. Of  _ course _ Jenna would notice that. She crossed her arms and refused to look Jenna in the eye. “It’s better to stay as we are. That’s what I want, and that’s what he wants.”

Jenna made a disappointed noise. “That’s a shame. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

“I’ll just become a hermit after college, anyway.” Aria said, shrugging indifferently.

Jenna’s laugh made Aria feel better about the twisting unhappiness curling around her heart.

Arlong was waiting for them at the station when they arrived, to Aria’s surprise. She smiled and waved at him, and he grinned as they came over.

“Yo, Aria. I was worried you were going to miss the last train again.” Arlong teased.

“That only happened one time.” Aria sighed. She motioned towards Jenna, who was watching the two with an amused smile. “Arlong, this is Jenna Valentina.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Jenna said, holding out her hand. Arlong blinked and gave her a loose handshake after a few beats of awkward reluctance. Apparently, he hadn’t expected Aria’s friend to be polite.

Despite his dislike of humans, he was rarely rude if offered politeness first. Aria had questioned it once, and Arlong had sheepishly told her his benefactor kept beating manners into him. “ _ You can’t be rude to potential clients and business partners, or some shit _ ,” Arlong had said.

“Same.” Arlong said, crossing his arms. “I’ll be showing you two around, since miss never-goes-anywhere can’t.” He gave a toothy smirk.

Aria scoffed, but she really couldn’t say anything in her defense.

“Thank you for looking after Aria.” Jenna said. “She’s always trying to take on more than she needs to, and I’ve been worrying about her since she moved here.”

“Hey. I’m not that bad.” Aria grumbled.

“Yes you are.” Arlong snickered. “She’s a handful, for sure. But I don’t mind.”

“I’m honestly surprised she even managed to ask for help. Aria’s no good at asking for favors.” Jenna continued, sighing and putting a dainty hand to her cheek. She gave Aria a worried glance.

“Oi.” Aria said, frowning at her.

“I’m sure it was like pulling teeth.” Arlong agreed.

“Introducing you two was a mistake…”

After plenty of more joking at Aria’s expense, Arlong finally decided to show them home. Jenna glanced around curiously at the scenery, and Aria wondered if she had looked so much like a tourist the first time she came to this part of town.

The journey to Arlong’s apartment was becoming very familiar to Aria. It wasn’t long until they were climbing the staircase towards Arlong’s floor. Before she even realized it, they were there.

“Kuroobi is out of town for the weekend, so we won’t have to worry about him.” Arlong explained as they took off their shoes. “The other two will still be here, though.”

“Yo, Arlong, Aria!” Chew greeted from the couch. His eyes widened when he spotted Jenna. “And Aria’s friend!”

Chew studied Jenna, mentally calculating where each piece of her outfit came from.

“Good evening.” Jenna greeted, smiling warmly. “Pardon the intrusion for the weekend. I’ll try to stay out of your way.”

Aria recognized the gleam in Jenna’s eyes as she did the same with Chew’s outfit. He was dressed more casually this time, but years of being Jenna’s friend meant she could tell which clothes were considered ‘trendy’ to someone like Jenna. Chew would definitely mark high on Jenna’s ranking.

“It’s way more likely that Chew and Hachi will get in  _ your _ way.” Arlong snickered.

Chew deflated a bit. “That’s hurtful, chuu.”

“Would Kuroobi mind if Jenna stayed in his room?” Aria asked, tapping her finger against her lip.

“Kuroobi would most definitely mind. His room is his sanctuary, chuu.” Chew shot down. “He would murder all of us if he even heard the suggestion.” Aria pursed her lips. Even when Kuroobi was gone he was annoying.

“That’s understandable. And I don’t mind the couch, really.” Jenna placated Aria.

“I’d offer my bed, but then you’d get stuck with Hachi’s snoring, and to be honest the couch is a lot more enjoyable than that.” Chew said dryly. “I’m actually out here right now because he’s already at it.”

“So both Hachi  _ and _ Arlong snore.” Aria said, like she was being let in on an impressive secret.

“I do not.” Arlong snapped. Aria raised a brow, surprised he would try and deny it.

Chew wasn’t going to let him play innocent. “Kuroobi wears earplugs to bed because he has to listen to the both of them, chuu.” Arlong glared at Chew but was ignored.

“No wonder he’s always so grumpy.” Aria snickered behind her hand.

“That sounds most unfortunate.” Jenna said, her brows furrowing in concern.

Arlong rolled his eyes and huffed. “Chew, can you get Jenna all set up? I want to shower.”

Chew snickered at his friend’s expense. “Sure, Arlong.”

“Ah, thank you very much.” Jenna smiled at Chew, who suddenly looked like he’d won the lottery. Jenna turned to Aria and patted her shoulder. “Aria, I think I’ll be fine for now. You can go get ready to sleep. You look tired.”

Aria nodded. It had been a long day and she was ready to relax. “If you’re sure. Good night, both of you.”

Aria went to Arlong’s room. She could hear Chew and Jenna chatting amicably in the living room, even when she closed the door. She was grateful Chew was being so friendly to Jenna. Then again, Jenna had an impressive ability to win over everyone with her gentle, sweet nature.

She undressed, folding her clothes neatly on the couch, and changed into her sleepwear. Aria smirked at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she wasn’t wearing something of Arlong’s to sleep. She was curious to see how he’d react.

She flopped onto Arlong’s bed with a content sigh. His bed was so comfortable. She flicked through her class message boards, letting the exhaustion of the day seep out of her.

Aria was in the middle of replying to a discussion board post when Arlong came in.

“Looks like Chew got your friend all set up. She’s already passed out on the couch, headphones in and everything.” Arlong said as he strode through the room to his computer. He collapsed in his chair and started checking his email.

“She probably had a long day too, running all over the city looking at apartments.” Aria mused.

“Why does she want to move here, anyway? She want to get into Raftel?”

“No, she’s taking online classes from a different college. But she wants to get a job at one of the research labs here once she’s gotten her degree.” Aria finished up her post. “She’ll probably apply for an internship while she’s here.”

Arlong made a small humming noise. He finished whatever he was doing on the computer and turned off his monitor. He stood and stretched, groaning as his shoulders popped. “…Aria.”

Aria blinked and looked over at Arlong, who had apparently just taken notice of her. His eyes were having a hard time settling anywhere with the way they kept roving over her, and his mouth was ajar. Aria smirked. “Yeah?”

“…What are you  _ wearing _ ?” Arlong sounded slightly horrified. Aria’s smirk grew, and she rolled onto her stomach, propping herself up with her elbow. Her legs kicked up into the air.

“What do you mean? This is the sort of thing I normally wear to sleep.” Aria purred. It wasn’t a total lie. She  _ had _ picked out one of her more elegant chemises, and one that she thought she looked the best in. It was black and silky, with lace along the neck and trim. It showed off her cleavage nicely when she laid like she was.

Arlong floundered for a response to that. “Oh. Really?”

Aria had to try so hard to not grin at him. He was so flustered that it was adorable. His cheeks were slowly taking on a purple hue. She fluttered her eyelashes as she teased him more. “Really. If you don’t like it, do you want me to take it off?”

Arlong opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He clenched his fists in frustration and looked away. That seemed to break the spell she had him under, much to Aria’s disappointment. “…You’re fine.” He managed, although his voice was tight and husky.

Aria hummed and sat up. She crossed her legs as she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up the camera app on her phone. That drew Arlong’s attention again, and he audibly sucked in a breath at the shutter sound. Aria leaned back, a lazy smirk on her face. “I remember you saying you wished you had taken pictures.”

Arlong’s phone buzzed in his back pocket, and Aria watched in amusement as he looked at what she had sent him. A bright purple blush formed on Arlong’s face, and he made a noise of utter frustration. He raked a hand through his hair. “That had been a  _ joke _ , you know.”

Despite saying that, he kept staring at the picture. Hesitantly, he glanced over at Aria.

Aria stuck her tongue out.

“You’re a menace.” Arlong grumbled. Aria’s face fell.

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop teasing you.” Aria said. She glanced at Arlong’s alarm clock. “We should get to sleep, anyway.”

Arlong’s warm, broad hand gripped her shoulder. Aria’s breath hitched as she realized how close Arlong suddenly was, his eyes burning with desire. His voice was low and gravelly as he asked, “you sure? There’s other things we can do besides sleep.”

Aria swallowed, and her hand gripped at the plush comforter beneath her. Her mouth felt so dry. “Yeah? What do you have in mind?”

Arlong let out a raspy chuckle, his lip curving into a smirk. “This.”

He closed the distance between them, and Aria’s heart skipped a beat as his lips captured hers. For all of Arlong’s sharp, jagged features, his lips were soft against hers. She’d missed this far too much for her own good. She sighed against his mouth, and he took advantage of that to deepen the kiss. Aria slid her arms around his shoulders, noting how his hair was still wet. Rivets of water ran against her skin and fell on her legs as Arlong pushed her thighs apart, his kisses slowly becoming more hard and aggressive.

They parted just long enough for Arlong to pick her up and set her further on the bed. Aria knew that fishmen were stronger than humans, but Arlong rarely displayed his strength, and he treated her weight like it was nothing. She hadn’t known why there was an appeal for strong partners before him.

That train of thought was abruptly ended by the way Arlong licked his lips before kissing her again. He looked ravenous, and Aria wanted to sate his appetite. He hovered over her, his knee settled between her thighs as his hands rested on either side of her. Her fingers ghosted against his cheek, and he groaned. Delicately, her fingers grazed the thick column of his neck. She felt his blood churning through his veins.

A water droplet fell on her collar, and she shivered as it slid down her skin. The surprised moan Arlong let out was endearing, especially as he broke away to look at her with awed eyes. “You’re like a doll, all fragile and pretty.”

Aria was sure he hadn’t meant to say that aloud, and certainly not in that hushed tone, but it made her heart soar and her thighs warm. She grinned up at him, her finger tracing his jawline. “I didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

Arlong flushed, and his hands balled around the comforter. “Of course I do. I’ve thought that since I first saw you,” he huffed.

Aria’s eyes widened, and she paused. “Really, now?”

Arlong’s smirked, his teeth poking out slightly. He ran a hand against her bare thigh, sending heady waves of delight through her. “Mhm. Wondered if your thighs were as soft as they looked, too. And if your lips tasted sweet.” Arlong practically purred.

Her face burned. Arlong certainly knew the answers to those questions now.

“Shahaha, you don’t need to be so embarrassed.” Warmth spread to her core as Arlong squeezed her thigh with his warm, webbed hand. His tongue flicked out, running against his lower lip as his eyes roamed her body appreciatively. Aria squirmed, that heady heat building at his obvious desire.

“Are they soft enough for you?” Aria purred, rubbing her thigh against his leg. His breathing hitched. She touched her lips softly, smirking at him with half-lidded eyes. “Sweet enough for you?”

Stiffly, Arlong nodded. “Hard to resist ‘em.” He admitted. His thumb brushed against the hem of her chemise. Aria wanted nothing more for him to just rip it off her.

“You don’t have to resist them,” Aria offered, smiling with half-lidded eyes, “just ask.”

The fire in his eyes burned even brighter as he considered it. “Aria.”

“Mhm?”

Arlong hesitated for a moment, his words caught in his throat. “You want me to make you feel good, babe?”

She shivered at the husky desire in his voice. “Please.”

Arlong closed the gap between them, his lips taking Aria’s breath away. Aria had been wanting this, no,  _ needing _ this. Desperately her hands sunk into Arlong’s wet hair, trying to get even closer.

Gooseflesh rose on Aria’s skin as Arlong tugged the chemise up, the air feeling cold on her body when all she craved was Arlong’s hot skin against hers. Thankfully he was eager to touch, his hand splayed against her skin.

Sharp teeth pricked against Aria’s lips, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She only wanted more. When Arlong paused to strip his shirt off, tossing it aside, Aria pulled him back to her greedily. 

Arlong huffed in amusement, but he couldn’t deny he was in the same boat. All he wanted was Aria to keep making those cute little moans. He pulled her chemise up further, exposing her breasts, and savored the soft skin under his palm. Aria keened against his mouth, arching herself up. Her eyes narrowed when Arlong decided to nip at her neck, her puffy lips not done savoring his taste.

She found it hard to protest as Arlong picked her hips up and ground his pelvis against her core. It was so unfair that he could do that with just one massive hand. Aria wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed herself against his flushing length. Arlong swore against her neck and ground against her in return.

They were so, so close. Just a few layers of fabric away. Aria whimpered at the thought of Arlong sinking into her, something she’d been so desperate for recently. Aria couldn’t keep herself from rutting against Arlong even as he left dark marks on her shoulder with his hot open mouth.

Then his mouth trailed lower. Arlong encouraged Aria to arch her back, teasing her heated core with his bulging sweatpants. Arlong waited until he had just the right angle and then took one of Aria’s nipples into his mouth. The keening noise Aria made would fill his thoughts for  _ months _ .

Her soft, supple skin bruised so pretty under his eager sucking. Arlong had been disappointed when the hickeys he’d left finally disappeared off her neck and shoulders. He’d be sure to make more. He left countless marks up and down her torso, savoring the sweet taste of her skin and the salty sweat that mixed with it.

Aria’s arms were trembling from her entire body arching up to meet him and her legs circling his waist. Arlong decided to take pity on the pretty human, and pulled her legs off of him, setting them on the bed. Beneath him, Aria licked her lips, eyes filled with lust and anticipation. His pride flared up as he grinned down at her. No one else would  _ ever _ get to see his Aria like this. He’d make damn sure of it.

“Get on your stomach, sweetheart.” Arlong ordered, tapping her side. Aria flushed, whether from the command or the pet name Arlong couldn’t tell, but she complied.

Arlong hummed in approval at Aria’s backside. He always appreciated the view on the train, but this was much more delightful. Aria’s wide hips flared out and curved into thick thighs and taut calves, her dark skin pretty against his bedsheets. She looked at him over her shoulder, and Arlong couldn’t help but drool with that impatient blush combined with her lacy black chemise pulled up high on her back and the purple print  _ ‘Bite Me’ _ panties.

Arlong shook his head and loomed over Aria’s prone form. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to tempt me to  _ bite you _ with these teeth, sweetheart?” Arlong purred in her ear, reveling in the shiver he evoked.

“What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.” Aria replied, arching her backside up to meet him.

Arlong huffed in amusement and pulled her panties straight down. Aria bit back a yelp at the sudden action. Arlong didn’t let her sink back down into the bed, his hand sliding between her thighs to push her back against him. Aria whimpered as his fingers slid along her slit, suddenly painfully aware of the aching emptiness inside her. She needed him, his fingers, his cock,  _ anything _ inside.

Thankfully Arlong was gracious, pressing a thick finger inside her. He gave a deep and heady groan at the lack of resistance. Aria shuddered in response, her fingers gripping at the comforter as she writhed in pleasure. She tried to spread herself wider, to make it easier for Arlong’s thick finger to reach deeper inside her. She had been so, so desperate for this.

Whimpers fell from her lips as her thighs began to shake, and Arlong murmured heady praise against her ear as he added another finger. Aria felt like she was going to turn into a puddle with the way her legs were quivering so hard, the pleasure of Arlong’s fingers mounting more and more until she crashed, burying her face into the bed as her vision turned white.

Arlong removed his fingers from inside her, and Aria couldn’t bring herself to care until they were pressed up against her lips. The heady smell of sex and pussy made Aria realize what was probably next. Tentatively she sucked at a finger, and Arlong gave her a throaty growl as a reward. She focused on drawing more of those sounds out of him until she felt his hard cock prodding at her entrance and she squirmed in anticipation.

Aria tossed a glance over her shoulder to see Arlong’s cock sheathed with a condom, and she wondered how she missed him putting that on. But she found it hard to care as Arlong pulled her up for a hot, needy kiss. Then he thrust inside, hard and deep.

_ This _ was what she’d been craving for the last two weeks, Aria realized as Arlong pushed deeper inside. He pressed her against the mattress now that the element of surprise was gone, but Aria was too focused on how she was getting filled with Arlong’s cock. “Yes, yes,  _ yes _ ,” Aria crooned.

She felt Arlong’s huff of laughter against her skin, but it turned into a rumbling moan as he bottomed out. Arlong savored the feeling for a moment, savored the sight of the woman under him.

Wouldn’t it be nice if he kept her? Every night, this woman in his bed?

Arlong narrowed his eyes. He was getting ahead of himself. All he needed to focus on was savoring the feel of fucking Aria so hard she wouldn’t want to get up in the morning. 

He pulled back slow and steady, easing Aria into the friction. Arlong took her broad hips into his hands and kept her steady as he built up an easy momentum. It wasn’t long before Arlong was tossing his head back and closing his eyes, focused only on his desire.

Soft, husky moans filled the air as Aria enjoyed the feel of Arlong pounding into her. She gripped the blankets under her for stability. She was grateful Arlong was holding her in place, her legs trembling and aching so much that she would surely turn to mush against the mattress. Each thrust sent waves of pleasure from her loin up to her spine, and she could feel herself coiling and tightening.

Arlong was clearly enjoying himself, if the throaty growls and gruff moans he made every time he bottomed out were any indication. He angled himself so that Aria could feel his balls slap against her sensitive skin and the lewd sound normally would’ve caused her to bury her face into the covers but it always preempted Arlong’s pleasured noises.

She wanted this to last forever. Her body tensed and tensed until finally it snapped, and Aria’s breath hitched so hard she wondered if she stopped breathing altogether. When she finally regained her senses, Arlong had shifted angles, his chest pressed against her back as he thrust hard and fast into her.

All she could sense was Arlong. His scent was everywhere in the room, his pleasured groans filled her ears, he was touching her back, her legs, her core… Aria moaned and arched her rear to better feel Arlong’s thick cock. “A-arlong...”

Arlong was so, so close. Aria was flush against him after cumming and she was writhing for more. Whimpering for more. Arlong had wanted her weak and needy all week, and he got it. Standoffish rude Aria was practically begging him for more cock and Arlong  _ loved _ it. His ego soared at the way Aria pleaded his name, becoming more desperate with each thrust. Arlong finally came when she moaned his name just right, pushing him over the edge he’d been teetering on.

He rode out his orgasm slow and steady. His elbows rested against the mattress as he panted. 

Aria’s legs were trembling even worse now that Arlong had let go of her hips, but she seemed reluctant to pull away. Arlong caught his breath and pulled back, ignoring Aria’s whine of protest. She rolled onto her back and pouted at him. Arlong wouldn’t take that look seriously even if she wasn’t looking at him with satiated post-sex eyes.

“C’mon, you gotta clean up, too.” Arlong huffed, discarding his used condom in the trash. Thankfully he had an unused towel on his dresser, and he threw it at the woman in his bed. Aria scowled but cleaned up the mess between her thighs before tossing it back to him.

When they were both no longer covered in sex, Arlong couldn’t seem to look Aria in the eye. So he didn’t try to. He turned off the light and got under the covers. Aria followed suit after slipping her panties back on securely and straightening out her chemise.

It was surprising to Arlong that the night silence wasn’t awkward like the aftermath of a one night stand. He found himself taken aback by Aria snuggling up to his chest, but couldn’t stop himself from putting an arm around her and pulling her closer.

Maybe once the weekend was over, Arlong would talk to Aria about a real relationship. He’d never bothered with one before. But the hazy half-asleep decision was what Arlong wanted most in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sponsored by Jenna, who will definitely show up in Hellbent in the future. It's just going to take a while to get there...
> 
> Jenna is a farm-girl fashionista. She gets on well with people and animals and loves everyone dearly. But she's awkward in her own way and winds up taking notes about her friends' lives so that she doesn't forget something important.
> 
> She's still very much a WIP character but I love her because while Aria is blunt and snappy, Jenna is all about smoothing things over to get shit done. Aria's diplomacy stat is in the negatives, while Jenna has like a +10. They get along purely because Jenna refuses to let Aria run away from human contact.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting on my computer for...two years now? So it's time to release it into the wild. It's about 40k+ words so far. You can blame any anime that has a meet-cute on the subway for this. Imagine lots of shoujo sparkles when Arlong and Aria first make eye contact.


End file.
